Page 206 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

61 FER3IA.V GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORT
of His Majesty’s Consulate, which is saddled with the task of «sm
over” all* difliculties arising between tlic gendarmerie and the authorit*0^"
people of the province. The policing of the Bandar Abbas road ari,l
sufficient funds, should not however in itself be a very difficult business. 1^
The nuclous force of gendarmcrio arrived from Tehran on October 9
It was' constituted as follows :— ^th.
1 Swedish Commandant Major 0. Glimstcdt (of the Swedish T?n
Army). Sular
1 “ Intondant ” Lychncll
(Quartermaster)
1 Cavalry Officer Captain doMarc (of the Swedish
Reserve),
1 Iufautry Officer „ Ocrtingren {ex“ policeman.’*
About 9 Persian Officers, including a Doctor. )
„ 200 rank and file, Northern Persians, of whom about 150 were
to be fighting men. said
Up to the end of the year the force was handicapped by both Major Glimstcdt
and Captain Ocrtingren being laid up with enteric fever, while the other tir
officers were at first frequently indisposed. Besides this Major Lychnell and
Captain Ocrtingrcn are quite new arrivals in the country, and know no Persian
and extremely little French or English. None of the officers have had anv
experience of the East or Easterns, and their knowledge of Persian fcelinr
and modes of thought and of tho conditions of the country acquired in Tehran
is slight. Mentally they are not brilliantly endowed, and they are inclined to
be hasty and headstrong in action. They have therefore much to learn, and
they have but a short time to do it in, as Glimstedt’s and de Mark’s contracts
expire it is believed within a year, and the former at any rate will have to
proceed to Swedou to undergo his examinations for promotion.
It -would be foolish at present to prophesy either hard or soft things
regarding the future of the gendarmerie. With all their defects, which exceed
those mentioned, the Swedes are men, know their own minds, and intend to bo
obeyed, and are keen on their work, but they are neither wise as serpents nor
harmless as doves.
They have made some progress with recruiting, and the strength of the
force at the end of the year was about 270. Whether they have succeeded in
tapping good material, on which much will depend, is not yet known, and in
any case they have not had enougli officers available to effect much in the wav
of training. They contemplate moving down to Bandar Abbas in full force
early in spring, with single-fly tents and no sun hats. If they do not perish
en route of starvation, or sunstroke, they will return with a Swedish Nursing
Sister and a Swedish Doctor, who is at present studying Tropical Medicine in
Paris. His Majesty’s Consul has proffered such counsel on these and othei
matters as he could without offonce. His personal relations with the Swedet
are excellent.
The Karguzari was in the charge of Mirza Habibullah Khan, Acting
_ _ , Karguzar, throughout the year. He u
u*u * an able and hardworking man, with a verj
thorough knowledge of Kerman. He has frequently officiated as Karguzar
during the last twenty years or so, and is always de fteto Karguzar, as d<
new-comcr can carry on without his help. He is not all that could be desirei
in the way of honesty, and was an object of special aversion to the Import
Bank of Persia’s ruling genius, Mirza Mustafa Khan. The result of Ajes
two circumstances was that his conduct of certain cases in the latter paIj0
1912 was not entirely satisfactory, hut ho has worked well for the Consuia j
during the past year, and, judged as Karguzars go, His Majesty’s Consu
disposed to regard him favourably.
Early in the year it was announced that a permanent Karguzar was to
sent from Sistan, but he nover came and, in May, information was received w
Offic
His Majesty's Legation that a certain Wasiq-us-Sultaneh in tho Foreigu
inTohran had been appointed. He also, however, did not put in an appeal