Page 569 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

CONFIDENTIAL. 19
CHAPTER IV.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE KERMAN AND BANDAR ABBAS
CONSULATES FOR THE YEAR 1938.

A.—KERMAN.
I. HIS MAJESTY’S CONSULATE.
Personnel.—Major G. A. Falconer, I.P.S., hold charge throughout the
year.
Tours.—II. M.’s Consul resided in Bandar Abbas for 8 weeks in January
—March. Ho also proceeded to Tehran in April and to Isfahan in October.
His Majesty's Birthday.'—The Govornor paid a formal call on H. M.’s
Consul on the morning of the 9th June, and attended an evening party at the
Consulate accompanied by Mdc Merat.
Consular statistics (1938)—
British subjects registered 20
Passports issued .... 5
Passport renewals granted 7
Documents legalised or attested 90
Fees levied ..... £119/1
II. VISITORS.
H. R. H. Prince Peter of Greece arrived in Kerman on the 12th February
and left for Tehran on the 21st February. While in Kerman he stayed with
M. Timoyanaki, a Greek subject and Manager of the Iranian Carpet Co., by
arrangement with the Governor.
Baroness Blixcn and Mrs. Bagnall, who were motoring from Calcutta to
Europe, stayed in Kerman from the 26lh to 28tli February.
The Czcclio-Slovakian Charge d’Affaires at Tehran and Mdo Frit visited
Kerman from the 5th to 7th May.
Lt.-Colonel H. J. Underwood, British Military Attach6 at Tehran, arrived
in Kerman on the 25th May and left for Tehran on the 29th May.
The Rt. Revd. W. J. Thompson, Bishop in Iran, visited Kerman in April
and from the 2nd to 28th July.
Lieut. P. G. B. McNalty, I.A., a language student, arrived on the 7th
October and left on the 29th November for Shiraz.
III. BRITISH INTERESTS.
Trade.—British products enjoy a high reputation among Iranians, but
so long as the present f scxl policy of the Iranian Government remains it is
practically impossible for local merchants to have any direct commercial
dealings with the United Kingdom or other parts of the British Empire ; the
restrictions on foreign exchange are an effective bar. Notwithstanding
these difficulties small quantities of British goods continue to find their way
to Kerman from time to time, chiefly through the monopoly companies.
There is a boom in bicycles as a form of locomotion. A large number of
new machines have appeared in this district during the past year and a fair
proportion of these are the British made “Hercules” costing rials 600
(£7/10/-); the remainder are of German manufacture selling at rials 500
(£6/5/-).
There is a risk demand for foreign piecegoods and Horricks* products
were on sale at the Government cloth shop, but the majority of imported
piece goods are of Japanese and Russian manufacture.
Most of the tea consumed is Indian grown.
With the exception of carpets to London, which is now the recognised
centre for the European markets, exports from this district to the U. K.
and India are negligible.
23(3) ead