Page 712 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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the Sultan’s Secretary who was sent to Singapore to meet him. He will probably
reside permanently in Karachi where he has taken a house and where lie will bo
joined by his wife, the Sultan’s mother, early in 1941.
(g) Ismail bin Khalil Rassasi.—A Palestinian subject who came to Muscat aa
a school master fourteen years ago. A man of considerable ability he has worked
his way up to the important governorship of Matrah. He has recently been employ­
ed by the Sultan to carry out inspection tours of the Batinah and Wilayats. lie
has considerable influence with the Sultan and was at one time thought to hold
anti-British views. Closer contact with him has shown that while naturally favour­
ing the cause of the Arabs in Palestine his views are by no means anti-British
and he has throughout the year willingly co-operated with the Agency in the many
matters affecting the interests of the British subjects in Matrali. Since the out­
break of the war he has been helpful in spreading pro-British propaganda.
(h) Suleiman al Baruni al Nafusi.—He accompanied the Sultan to Bombay in
April and died there of heart failure on the 30th of April. For years he had hoped
and prayed that the call would come for him to return to North Africa to work for
the liberation of his country, Tripoli. By a queer twist of fortune the call came six
weeks after his death in the form of an urgent request for his services from the
French General Officer Commanding, North Africa with instructions for him to be
sent to Algiers “by the quickest means.
2. Trade and Commerce.—This subject has already been dealt with in Part I
of this report.
3. Municipality.—The Municipality have continued their efforts to clean up
the town with considerable success and Muscat has a much less dilapidated appear­
ance than it had. Unfortunately no new work has been taken in hand and no
improvements, to the roads or open spaces have been made. The inertia of the
President and his Committee has caused the Sultan to seek the Agency’s help.
Naturally help has not been refused and the President has received advice on the
Municipal Budget for 1941.
4. Education.—The new school building at Muscat was completed in December
and was formally opened by the Sultan who took the opportunity to address the
notables present on the importance of education. The building is a pleasant
looking edifice of re-inforced concrete. The class rooms are large and airy and the
walls are sufficiently thick to prevent the labours of one class disturbing the
studies of the one next door. The headmaster is a Palestinian who has recently
arrived and who will probably be followed by other masters as the attendance at
the school increases. It is hoped to add a boarding establishment next year to cater
for the sons of people living in the interior and up the Batihan coast.
5. General Communications.—Mr. J. A. Faithful remained in charge of the
local office of the Cable & Wireless Limited, throughout the year.
The Bushire cable was repaired in the middle of January and the Karachi cable
during the fust week of February. The cables remained serviceable the greater
part of the year but the Bushire cable again broke in December and had not been
repaired by the end of the year.
0. Police.—The training of the police in routine procedure was successfully
carried out by Mr. Azizullah Khan, a retired Prosecuting Inspector from the United
Provinces. Unfortunately this officer was lacking in personality and no discipli­
narian and became more of a figure of fun than of fear to the lower elements in the
population. The Sultan decided, on the advice of the Military Adviser, that an
officer of quite a different type was essential and Mr. Azizullah’s services were
terminated on the expiration of his probationary period.
The police force has been placed under the Military Adviser for discipline and
training and under the Minister for External Affairs for policy and police duties.
By the end of the year Mr. Azizullah had not been replaced although every effort
was being made to obtain a suitable individual. At the request of the Sultan the
Agency prepared for te Muscat Government “ Harbour and Police ” rules which
were approved by the Sultan and came into force early in April.
7. Muscat Infantry.—An important part of the defence measures rendered
necessary by the war and for which the Sultan is in receipt of financial assistance
has been the increase in the strength of the Muscat Infantry from 150 all ranks t>0