Page 456 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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able roproaentativo of Seyyed Zia in Shiraz seems to have chiefly
•eld hero a watching brief# J
l
91. All the Britioh Officers attached to the consulate had been
"ransferred or demobilised by the time British troops withdrew from
;ehran. One American Military Adviser, who made ho pretence of
•0lng any work, left for assignment to a battle area and his place
;3S taken by a colleague from Kerman who seems to regard his mission
jo regenerate the Persian Army in Fars as divine as well as American#
;>ie American Financial Adviser terminated hi3 employment at the end
cf December. In one respect, by discharging a scoundrelly Inter­
preter, he showed to advantage over his predecessor but to Judge by
'•he number of days he was actually present in Shiraz to attend to
r\s duties the Persian Government made in him a bad bargain.
;2. The Public Relations Bureau reading room in Shiraz was virtually
•losed. Only the relaying of broadcast news has been continued and *
‘hat in order to keep the town Informed of the march of events in
‘he north and thus prevent the spread of rumours likely to disturb
*he public calm. It cannot be said that the P.R.B, activities in
jhiraz have been a striking success. The reason is that thi3 sort
:f work to be done well is a \ahole time Job, calls for constant ’
iiropean supervision and an unfailing supply of bright ideas. In
jhiraz the reading room has had to make do with such attention as
•sabers of the consulate staff could spare it. The regular P.R.B.
j;aff was engaged locally.
J3. If P.R.B. activities gave little cause for satisfaction the
;:itish Institute has on the other hand gone from strength to strength
•id in Shiraz at least it looks as if it would have been much more
:-:rarding to concentrate on the British Council than on P.R.B. The
jrr.eral impression given that the British Council it was short of
::aey while the P.R.3. was flush points to misplaced emphasis, The
mansion of the work of the British Council in Shiraz is limited
:iiy by the cramp premises available and by the number of the
'iropean staff employed.
!4, The British aeroplane used for weekly flights between Tehran
ni Bushlre has given good service and could be duplicated with
;;ofit.
!5. There has been occasianal criticism of the A.I.O.C. in the
‘.real press chiefly because stocks of primary products have been in
-ort supply and in consequence there has been no opportunity or
;!rious attempt made to provide for the needs of outlying areas. If
Urlng the war the first care of the A.I.G.C. was to attend to the
iilied fighting services one of the first cares of the peace should
; to study the local market. Fars is a province that has suffered
‘roa severe deforsoathtion and every year brings a crisis in fuel,
jt is here that the Company should make an effort to substitute oil
’or the diminishing charcoal and wood stocks. In Shiraz only bakers,
id not all of these, regularly use oil as fuel. The bakers find
ie necessary equipment is expensive and difficult to obtain so the
•spnay might well in the public as well as their own Interest make
rrangecents to supply bakers* outfits on reasonable terms. They
•Sht also produce stoves suitable for use in Government departments,
-lools, baths and private houses and so increase the consumption of
U and reduce the d ecand for wood and charcoal. .Some charcoal will
-ways be. consumed for domestic purposes but a drive on the part of the
•ipany to supply oil-buring domestic, appliances seems much overdue,
as is also the
-Sorouos devdbpment-and local sale of by-products. An example of
*-s company* s failure to interest itself in local needs in to be found
'-the two Shiraz wine factories both of which burn wood in their
•stilling processes*
/ 26.