Page 512 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911
P. 512
ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
18
Consul-General having informed the Company that Wram was not a fit per-
son and that his appointment would only bring them into disrepute.
Messrs. F. C. Strick & Co. made an ofler in the course of the year to
obtain the contract for the " tambaku,” but the Soci6t6 du Tombac in Con
stantinople did not respond and, furthermore, the ocean rates offered by the
Russian line were too low to admit of competition on other than a subsidy
basis.
German Interests—Full details of the imports by the Hamburg-Amerika
Line are only to hand for 8 ships out of the 11 which called at this port in
1910. These eight ships brought 22,927 packages from Hamburg and Ant
werp as compared with 10,234 packages brought by 7 ships during 1909 or
an increase of 96 per cent, for a period comprising ,the greater part of the
year. The increase is accounted for by a cargo of 11,097 cases of kerosine
landed by one steamer and denotes no extension of trade. It may be men
tioned that reports from other places in the Gulf also speak of a general
increase of some 75 per cent. The exports from Bushire by 6 vessels, between
January and June 1910, amounted to 155 tons, and though the statistics of
cargo of the other 5 vessels are not yet available, it is known that little can be
added to the above figures.
On arrival at Bushire, on the 18th May, of the Hamburg-Amerika Line
S. S. “ Cheruskia,” the Agents, Messrs. Robert Wonckbaus & Co., hoisted on
their office a new flag having the lion and the sun on a blue ground in one
corner and the star and crescent on a red ground on the other, the two devices
being separated by a white strip bearing the initials of Messrs. Wonckhaus
& Co. The nature of the new design being obviously serai-political, enquiry
was made from the Karguzar as to whether, contrary to the usage of the past,
it was now permissible for merchants to fly personal house flags, whereupon
that official drew the attention of the German Company to the irregularity,
and the flag has not since been flown.
The German firm of Wonckhaus & Co. withdrew in the spring its
German representative from Bush ire, as the small amount of business trans
acted did not repay the outlay. They left their Persian broker, Haji
Muhammad^ Husse-in by name, in charge of their Agency. Owing, however, to
his personal antagonism with Mirza Hussein, the Dragoman of the German
Consulate, and to the loss of 8,500 tomans sent in native sailing craft by
Haji Muhammad Hussein for the purchase of wheat in the districts near
Bushire, and to the suspicion thrown upon Haji Muhammad Hussein of
having robbed the money, the latter absconded from Bushire in September
and fled to Dilwar in Tangistan, where he remained till the end of the year.
It appeared also that Haji Muhammad Hussein was heavily indebted to
the firm on past accounts, although at the same time he was their chief in
strument of business in Bushire. The German firm were thus heavily hit
financially and one of the partners, Mr. Thomas Brown, (a British subject)
and Mr. Krumpetcr came to Bushire to investigate matters. Mirza Hussein,
the German Dragoman above-mentioned, thereupon got himself temporarily
put in charge o! the German Firm’s office. The whole affair, and subsequent
eJe^Js which ensued early in 1911, have considerably damaged the reputation
During the year Mr. Wonckhaus, who remained in Europe, dissolved
partnership with Messrs. Traun Strucken & Co., of Hamburg, his financiers,
who had quarrelled with him regarding the management of their business in
the Gulf : and Mr. Wonckhans sought fresh financial support in London and
Hamburg finally obtaining it from the banker Jawbsen. A member of the
Beit family of South African connection is also understood to have a consi
derable vested interest iD the firm.
Turkish Interests.—Considerable activity has been shown by the Turkish'
Consul in calling upon his nationalists residing in Bushire to undergo mili
tary service at Baghdad. The persons most affected are the Baghdad Christ
ian employes of the Customs Department.
His Excellency the Darya Begi, while on a visit to Jask’ at the end of
Armi Traffic. February, was pressed by oar Intelli-
r-k r»u* * t t»- » pence Officer to deport Mir Barkat
tkoan, Unet of Biyaban, and one of those most deeply implicated in the illicit
