Page 165 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOR TI1E YEAR 1P13. 25
•(liaininun.^10n».c^c » succeeded in getting away without anyone seeing them
knowing iu which direction they had gone. It was a most deplorable
or "mder, and has ^ecn the direct causo of all the subsequent troubles at and
blun
r Kazerun. ”
]']ie gendarmerie had no sooner taken over the road under the conditions
• described when large numbers of them had to bo concentrated again to
repel oQ cxtraordinary situation that arose at Kazerun. After the main
|linin of the gendarmerie had moved down the road, the gendarmes at
Kazerun proceeded to destroy lowers and disarm villagers in the vicinity.
Thc villagers flocked into Kazerun and, on the 21st November, attacked the
gendarmerie barracks about sunset. Ali Muhammad, Kamariji, who, as
Already reported, had effected his .escape with his whole band and had been
lurking in the neighbourhood, joined in the attack. About midnight 32
*and3rmes evacuated the barracks and fled to the telegraph office, where, under
the orders of the Assistant Superintendent, Shiraz, the telegraphist disarmed
them so as to avoid an armed conflict in the telegraph office, A force of 400
to 300 men was despatched by Colonel TJggla to return to Kazerun at once.
The Darya Begi was despatched by the Governor-General from S iraz with a
small force of 100 cavalry and 200 infantry to help in arranging the local
situation and to support the gendarmerie in every possible way. In the mean-
tiuie it was reported that Ali Muhammad Kamarijrs tufangchis had killed a
local Finance Agent near Debris.
After some sharp fighting on the 29th, 30th November and 1st December,
Hie gendarmerie column entered Kazerun and restored order. Ali Muhammad,
Kamariji, however again escaped, but his son-in-law was killed in the fighting.
The tale of casulties was as follows :—
Gendarmes 5 killed, 3 Persian officers and 23 men wounded. Enemy
29 corpses counted, wounded unknown. Three ringleaders were hanged. On
the whole the gendarmerie are undoubtedly making their presence felt in the
south. Tlieir ultimate success is problematical
In the three immediately preceding articles mention has been made from
time to time of funds advanced and loans
n:r.c;al ajiiifance given by Hi» Majcs'y ’a
G.vc.-tacut to Persia. proposed for southern Persia, more
especially Fars with which this report is
immediately concerned. It will perhaps be interesting to trace the history of
the conditions it was proposed from time to time to attach to the grant of this
financial assistance and what they finally resulted in.
The expedition planned to avenge Captain Eckford and restore order on
the road had been vetoed and the Ala-us-Suitaaeh, with an ingenuity that
compels our admiration, had utilised the incident to borrow money from the
long suffering British Government for a force officered by Swedes who were
l?ent on introducing the commerce of their own country and making things
easy for that of Germany and, incidentally, annoying, in so far as in them
by, our comrades of the Anglo-Eussian entente.. The. Political Besident
suggested desiderata which might be secured from the Persian Government in
fetum for our forbearance.
Tho list was a formidable one and is given below :—
‘*1. Documentary recognition of our prescriptive rights to control light­
ing, buoying, and policing of Gulf in the same way that our
position has been recognised in respect of quarantine, in regard
to which the position might with advantage be reaffirmed inci*
dentally.**
" 2. Documentary recognition as a permanency of the old prescriptive
postal rights and privileges which we still enjoy, and an expres­
sion of readiness to see those extended to other Persian ports of
the Persian Gulf as occasion may require.’*
*‘3. Undertaking to refrain from giving any lease or concession, com­
mercial or otherwise, in Southern and South-Western Persia (♦.
in the area comprising the British and neutral zones under the
Anglo-B.ussian Convention), or in Persian, islands of the Gulf, to
a