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REPORT

ON THE

TBADE OP BUSHIRE

FOR THE

Persian Fiscal year ending tlie Harcli 21sti 1916.

Bi Me. Vice-Consul H. G. Chics, C.I.E., Commzhcial Adviser to the Political Resident
in ths Persian Gcur.

Conditions affecting the Trade of Bushire in While the above-mentioned conditions applied
1915-16. more particularly to the oversea trade of the port,
the inland operations of merchants were greatly-
In addition to the abnormal and unfavourable hampered, and brought to a standstill for several
conditions affecting trade throughout the world months, by the following occurrences:—
in 1915-16, as the result of the European war,
other special factors militated against the trade (a) Bashire became involved in a little war of
of the port. its own owing to the rebellion of the tribal chiefs
(0 Direct shipments from and to the United of the districts along the caravan route to Shiraz
Kingdom and Europe practically ceased, and and Ispahan, and to their attacks on Bashire: and
since this hostile country extended to within tea
transhipment via Indian ports did not fully miles of the port, it was found a necessary
compensate for this restriction of normal trade.
military measure to prohibit all traffic inland by
(ii) Shipping trade between the Persian Gulf this route, and access into the peninsula of Bushire
and India is in the hands of British lines, where from July 1915 till March 1916, and later.
steamers were for a considerable part of the period Thus the distribution of imports up-conn try was
under review required for military purposes only possible daring four months of "the period
connected with the Mesopotamian Expedition. under review. The local hostilities led to farther
So great was the scarcity of shipping that it was restrictions on the transhipment of goods to certain
extremely hard to secure freight from Bombay of the coast ports, through which the rebels
for goods long detained there. might draw supplies.
(Ill) Part of the Persian frontier regions was (6) By September 1915 German emissaries had
the scene of operations by enemy forces, and thus, obtained such control of Ispahan that that im­
apart from the absolute prohibition or restriction portant distributing centre for Bushire imports
of export of many articles of commerce from was evacuated by the British colony and
India to a neutral state, such as Persia, greater merchants, a partial suspension of trade relations
caution had to be displayed in various directions with the coast prevailing till after the end of the
to prevent British exports going to supply the period under report.
enemy.
(iv) A remarkable depreciation of the exchange (c) German intrigues, in which they were
value of British currency set in by March 1916 assisted by the Persian Gendarmerie under
(though its effect more properly belongs to 1916- Swedish officers, led to the arrest and removal
17), and this unsettled the market, and reacted from Shiraz of the British colony and merchants
against exports. there early in November 1915. In December
23 P.4 P.D.