Page 701 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

45
FOR THE TEAR 1019.
They were accordingly handed over, and all subsidies formerly ppid to
them for tlieir good behaviour, withdrawn.
From the beginning of June up to date, the only event of importance
has been the publication of the terras of the Angel-Persian Agreement.
Tt caused no particular stir as the moral and political atmosphere, the
creation of which was apparently one of the aims of the agreement, has been
in actual existence for some time past.
The agreement, however, was received very favourably as being a cate­
gorical expression of the good-will of the British Government and a guarantee
of its continued interest and protection, the value of which Is nowhere
more highly appreciated than in this province,especially by the masses and the
mercantile community.
The Sheikh of Mohammerab, although genuinely welcoming the agreement,
at the same time realises that there are certain personal disvantages accruing
therefrom, the principal being (hat the considerable revenue demand upon him
by the Persian Government will receive substantial backing by bur own.
Occasional departure from the path of righteousness have met with prompt
punishment from the Sheikh of Mohammerah, through his son Sheikh Abdul
Hamid Khan, the Deputy Governor of Ahwaz.
The importance of our Military backing, however, must not be lost sight
of, the tribes submit to punishment and to the enforcement of law and order,
merely because they are afraid of the force which they know lies behind the
Sheikh of Mohammerah, contact with which they are most anxious to
avoid, and although in no case has military pressure been brought to bear on
them, the moral effect of its presence is sufficient.
Pending developments expected as the outcome of the Anglc-Persian
Agreement, no scheme has as yet been put forward to replace this force, when
it is eventually withdrawn.
Some such force whether composed of tribal levies, gendarmarie, or orga­
nised by the Sheikh of Mohammerah on the lino of the Indian Imperial Service
troops, is an absolute necessity if the former state of chaos is not to be
reverted to.
The Civil Hospital which has grown from a mere Vice-Consulate Chari­
table Dispensary, now contains 30 beds with a separate vent real branch.
A table of attendance in comparison with 1918 is attached (appendix 1).
Except for the pay of the Civil ‘ Surgeon, and a Sub-Assistant Surgeon,
it is self-supporting and it is hopod to arrange for its activities to extend to
Dizful and Shusktar in the future. The cost of drugs, however, a large item
of expenditure, which has up till quite lately been borne by the Iraq revenues,
will no doubt seriously hamper the work of the hospital if further local support
is not forthcoming.
Patients of all. classes from Bakhtiari, Kughilu and Luristan attend, and
its undoubted political value cannot be uuder-estiraated.
The Civil Surgeon is also responsible for the organisation of the Munici­
pality and is thus able to control the sanitation of the town, the cleanliness of
which compares very favourably with any. other .in the East.
Crops. Owing to the unbroken tranquility of the past, year the anha-
RconomtcaL bitants have >had ample- opportunity to
. , attend to agriculture and trade. Both,
as may be expected, have flourished. *
* area put under cultivation this year was approximated one-third more
than last, unfortunately the rains were poor so that the crop* did not exceed
those or last year. r
There has, however, been no shortage aud prices have remained practically
the same.