Page 36 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

26 ADMINISTRATION KEPOUT ON THE PERSIAN GOLF POLITICAL
Though .‘comparative quiot no* rcighod in Shiraz for about »
fortnight., there was still a good deal of lawlessness pro Valent, and thin brJt
the troublesome form of Jew-baiting. On 7th February, Moiifcleur VeuczianL
an Italian Jew and leader of the community, 'teportod that ah attack on hia
co-religionists was arranged for the morrow, and solicited protection for hi*
house in which largo quantities of Jewish merchandise wero stored fot safety
In pursuance of this request Mr. Grahame and his Consular Escort spent the
night in the housoof a European adjoining his premises; Nothing howeVer
occurred and for some days, during the goneral rejoicing at the apparent
supersession of the Shoa-es-Sultanoh, the Jews were forgotten ; but this did
not endure for a long time and about 20th February * the Italian again
complained that his servants wore constantly beaten'and robbed in6the
bazaar.
Contrary to expectation the first ten days of the Mohurrum, which com­
menced at the end of February, passed without any incident except that the Jews
were still oppressed and confined to thoir own quarters and were informed by
the local authorities that their security could only be guaranteed by payment
of 1,000 tomans by the community.
The general position continued much the same until the end of the year
owing to the uncertainty whioh still continued to exist as to whether His
Imperial Highness the Shoa-es-Sultaneh had really relinquished the idea of
returning to Pars or whether he stiLl had the ear of his father and meditated
return when opportunity offered.
The town and district of Behbelian, nominally under the Fare Govern­
ment, was in a. hardly less turbulent state than the capital of the province,
and the Shiraz Authorities were able to exercise no effective control over the
anarchy which prevailed.
There can be little doubt that in these efforts to emancipate themselves
from the intolerable burden of rapacious oppression under winch they suffer,
the people of Fars have been emboldened by the success of the revolutionary
movement in Russia ; and for Ibis reason they will not be appeased so easily
with empty promises as they have been in the past.
Viest3 rt vessels Bushire was visited by the three “ subsidised** gunboats Sphinx,
of Hi? Majesty’s Lapwing and Bedbreast. One of these vessels remained on duty at
Navy and the
Royal Indian J3u8reh and in the Shatt-el-Arab throughout the seven months ending March
Karine. 1906, in connection with the patrolling of ihe river during the date-shipping
season and the murder of a British Engineer in Messrs, Lynch’s workshops
at Margbill above Busreh.
Vice-Admiral Sir Edmund Poe, K.C.Y.O., Commandcr-in-Chief of the
East Indies Station, who arrived in the Gulf with his Flansbip Hemes
in the middle of March after attending the departure of Their. Boyal
Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales from Karachi on the termination
of their Indian tour, bad not yet reached Bushire when the year under report
closed.
R.I.M.S. Lawrence was on duty with the Resident throughout the
vear as usual, and R.I.M.8. Investigator on arrival from Bomba yon-29 th
September proceeded with the survey of Koweit Harbour, leaving again-on
13th December td avoid the very cold weather iu the Gulf during sdnearn
the previous season the crew had shown a tendeccy to develop Bfcri-beru ^
No vessels of Foreign Navies visited
Foreign Mm-of-War. Bushire d a ring the y Pir.
Official Major P. Z. Cox, retained bis post throughout the jear and there
change* • was no change in the personnel of the Residency except as regards Uie
Second Assistant Lieutenant O. H. Gabriel, who had assumed charge on ZOtn
March 1905, left for India on 15th January i 906, after handing orer charge
to Lieutenant B. L. Bird wood.
_ Monsieur N. Passek, Consul-General for Russia, remained at pom
nproaenUUTM, throughout the year, but spent the summer at 8bira*.
Herr Von Mntius, the Acting German Consul, left-on 8th May for
Germany, Lr. Listemann from Tehran taking fcu place.