Page 623 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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The sugar factory at. Mevv Dasht. was expended to cope with a production
of 100,000 tons and the usual party of Czech technicians arrived for the sugar-
boiling season with only a slight delay.
The machinery for the grain silos at Isfahan and Shiraz which was to ho
supplied from the IJ, S. S. 11. did not arrive although the silo building at Isfahan
was finished by Kampsax in 1038 and the one in Shiraz is nearing completion.
The Khollar wine factory produced some 250,000 litres of wine from the
1938 cro]> and succeeded in maintaining the good quality of its products.
Military Affairs and Public Security.—The strength of the Shiraz garrison
was brought up to about 8,000 men. Mechanization made no progress. Of the
three anti-aircraft guns reported to have arrived in the spring one was seen at
the time hut none were heard of since. Considerably more attention was given
to musketry and the three rille ranges were in constant use. Rumours of
movements of troops to the coast after the outbreak of wfar were not sub­
stantiated.
The road guards (Amnieh) were incorporated in the army in March but no
outward change "was apparent in their functions or efficiency. Nevertheless,
except for a few hold-tips and robberies in isolated parts, public security was
remarkably good.
Public Opinion and the War.—The sentiments of informed Persians were
overwhelmingly favourable to the Allies. This no doubt is largely due to the
fact that if a Persian speaks n foreign language at all it is usually either French
or English and only very rarely German. Commercial circles in Shiraz and
industrial circles in Isfahan which have come under strong German influence in
the last few years, regarded the war as an unmitigated nuisance which was
likely to lose them much money. They also considered that after the defeat, of
Poland it was being needlessly prolonged. Oidy amongst army officers was
their any definite body of pro-German feeling.
The Persian broadcasts from Angora, to which, every Iranian wireless
owner listens, helped enormously to consolidate public opinion in favour of the
Allies, but reception towards the end of the year became very disturbed.
Control of Foreiyners and Forciyn Interests.—The strict . control of all
foreigners w'hich was expected to follow7 the outbreak of war did not take place.
On the other hand special instructions were received hv the Governor General
to keep a watch on German activities^ and at the beginning of November the
head of the German community in Shiraz, and the only potential emulator of
Wassmuss, was arrested for espionage and was still in custody, without trial,
at the end of the year.
Tribal settlement areas continued to be strictly guarded against the in­
quisitive eyes of strangers.
Indian army language students w7ere given little trouble by the local
authorities hut appear to have aroused considerable suspicion in Tehran.
Towards the end of the year the employees of Kampsax began to cncountev
difficulty in obtaining permits to travel from the north to the south of Iran unless
specially guaranteed to the authorities by the company.
In August the C. M. S. schools in Isfahan and Shiraz wrero ordered to he
handed over to the Iranian authorities at a wreck’s notice but were later given a
year’s respite when the difficulty of running them without their English staffs
became apparent.
The archeological expedition of the University of Chicago closed its work
at Pcrscpolis in November and the Iranian Department of Antiquities took over
charge of the excavations.
Weather Report.—The maximum temperature was 98°F on July 31st and
August 23rd.
The minimum temperature was 27°F on February 28th. Total rainfall for
the season 1938-39 w7as 14--50 inches in Shiraz as compared with 16-IS inches in
1937-38 and 10-27 inches in 1936-37.
Normal wrcather conditions prevailed throughout the year.

A. H. KING,
II. M.’s Consul.
LCslEAD