Page 631 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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suitable quarters, Increases In wages, transport and recrea-
tional facilities. By the close of the year, an extensive
building programme was In progress, transport was provided
for the labourero, playing fields and a cinema were constructed
and a substantial increase in their wages (which now vary
from Rials 35 to 60 per day plus suitable terms of insurance)
was granted.
3. Shipping Agencies. ^he only other British interests
in Khorramsnahr were tne following three Shipping Agencies i
(a) Messrs. Gray. Mackenzie & Co. Limited. Mr. W. Spence
s post of Hanager ti 11 111h May, when he was succeeded
held the
by Mr. R.M. Brown.
(b) Messrs. Frank C. Strick & Co. Limited. Mr. N.P.
Brooke was Manager till the ond of August, when he was succeed­
ed by Mr. D.O. Howlands, who held charge during the rest of
the year.

(c) Noqsys. African Eastern Limited, Mr. E.D. Williams
held the post of Manager throughout the year.
4. Public -Relations. A branch of the British Embassy
tionDepartnent functioned in Khorramshahr during the
Inforaat
year under the general supervision of H.M. Consul, Its acti-
vities were very limited and consisted mainly of receiving and
distributing periodicals, pamp hlets and news papers received
from Tehran. towards the end of the year, the expansion in
the activities of this branch in this area was considered
essential and arrangements wero made to obtain the services
of a qualified Publicity Assistant (who has since arrived and
taken up his duties) to open a Reading Room, issue daily news
bulletins in English and Persian and maintain closer contact
with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

III. FOREIGN INTERESTS

1. Representation.
(a) The Iraqi Vice-Consul was the only other foreign civil
representative in this Consular area. The Head Clerk of the
Vice-Consulate, Mr. Philip Azoo, officiated as Vice-Consul
till April, when Mr. Abdul Haq Fazel arrived and took charge
of the appointment. He was relieved on the 16th May by Mr.All
Jamil Sa'eb, who held charge for the remainder of the year.
This officer was on very good terms with the members of this
Consulate. His main duties appeared to be the Issuing of
visas to pilgrims going to Iraq and he showed little interest
in the political activities in this Province, though it is
known that he sent some reports to Baghdad regarding the wel­
fare of the Arabs in Khuzistan.
(b) There is no Soviet Representative stationed in this
Consulate area, but the Soviet Consul at Ahw&z, M. Konzma
Novikov, and his staff made numbeous visits to Khorramshahr
and^Abadan during the year and his movements indicated that
he was taking considerable Interest in political activities
in these areas. Early in the year he called on H.M. Consul
for the first time, though he had made several previous
visits to the town, in order to obtain information regarding
Shaikh Abdullah bin Khazaal (see under Tribal). During some
of his subsequent visits, he is known to have made attempts
to persuade t.he Arab Shaikhs to Join the Tudeh Party and, in
November, when the Headquarters of the Democrat Party was
opened /-