Page 463 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1909. 53
Two naval officers, Paymaster Adams and Lieutenant Smithies, botU
of H. M. S. “ Sphinx,” passed through Ahwaz in April en route to Europe,
visiting en route Shushtar and the oil-fields.
In connection with these two officers’ journey to Shushtar an incident
occurred which is dealt with under the heading ‘ Miscellaneous Protec­
tion of British lives and property in Arabistan.’.
Mr. N. Worrall, Consular Assistant, accompanied by his wife, passed
through the district on transfer from Tehran to Bushire.
The hill tribes who have their habitat in the Ahwaz district are practi-
ProRrcBa of Constitutional Institutions in Unaffected by, and Unprovi e
the Ahwaz District., (with, Constitutional Institutions, ine
progress of Constitutionalism among the town-dwellers of Arabistan is dealt
with in the Mohamraerah Consulate Administration Report.
Up to the arrival of the Bakhtiari Governor in Behbchan Constitutional
Institutions were non-existent, owing to the opposition of the Bahadur-i-
Diwan, who was an ardent reactionary at heart.
Moreover the townspeople of Behbehan themselves are divided into
Constitutionalists and Reactionaries, and even those who favour the Medjliss
are ignorant of the very elements of Constitutional Government and Insti­
tutions. On his arrival the Governor of Behbehan took up the subject of
Constitutional representation but, up to the end of the year, his efforts had
failed to produce any results.
Miscellaneous.
The question of the incidence of responsibility for the protection of
British lives and property in Arabistan
Protection of British lives and property in arose in April in the following form and
Arabistan. °
.with the following result
Paymaster Adams, R.N., and Lieutenant Smithies, R.N., desired to
proceed to Shushtar by caravan, and on His Majesty’s Consul requesting
Shaikh Hanzal, the then Deputy Governor of Ahwaz, to supply the neces­
sary guards, Shaikh Hanzal refused to supply guards or to accept respon­
sibility for the safety of these officers further than Bend-i-Kir, a place 16
miles north of Ahwaz.
To this His Majesty’s Consul replied informing Shaikh Hanzal that
he had received no official intimation of the change of responsibility and con­
tinued to hold him responsible. At the same time reference was made to the
Shaikh of Mohammerah, who replied by sending orders to Shaikh Hanzal
to the effect that British lives and property were to be protected.
Owing to the failure of the rains in 1909, and subsequent on the drought
c of 190S, crops were very scanty and no
wheat was available for export. Con­
sequent on the same cause barley and cropped straw were roost difficult to
obtain and the price of food stuffs and fodaer was extremely high, grains and
food stuffs being 40 per cent, and tibbin 50 per cent, above normal. Another
cause which has conduced to the rise of prices of cereals is that the prices in
Arabistan respond sympathetically to the prices obtaining in London which
have risen considerably during the last few years.
The rainfall was 7 inches 17 cents. Maximum temperature 117° on 3rd
Moteorolog^cal. August. Minimum temperature 32° on
9th January.
A ‘ news-writer ’ was maintained throughout the year in charge of the
Ahwaz Consulate Agonts, etc., in Arabistan. Rnd friendly relations Were
maintained with many of the leading
men both in Dizful and Shushtar.

J. RANKING, Lieutenant, I. A.,
His Majesty's Consul at Ahwaz.
His Britannic Majesty’s Consulate;
Ahwaz, the 2nd February 1910.