File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎249r] (129/280)

can be made after war. Road is open now and custom authorities
at Bushire report large increase in customs dues. All tea that
used to come via north is now entering by south. Sugar is
likely to follow if the embargo on export of commodity from
India is raised. We may thus recover large proportion of our
vanished trade if the security of the road can be maintained,
"lis is I think assured if competent officers are in command
at Isfahan Shiraz. “
The old English game of intrigues now starts: There is
an attempt to play off a seemingly more pliable officer against
those of his comrades whom one cannot trust to carry out
a policy entirely in the English interests. In a characteristic
telegram from the British Consul at Shiraz to the British Resident
in Bushire and to the Minister at Teheran the attitude is also
touched upon of the highest official in the province, the Governor
General Mukhber-es-Sultaneh, an attitude which explains the
continued efforts to undermine his position:
January 31 Pt , 1915 .
“Principal offenders in matter of pro-German talk are
Capts. Lundberg and Killander 1 ). Former has left Shiraz for
Tehran, and latter has fallen foul of Major Pravitz and will
also, I hope soon depart from Ears
G. G. 2 ) also is very pro-German and is source whence emanate
many German and Turkish reports.
German and Turkish news reach Shiraz from Tehran by
Persian wires and by post.“
The wrath of the English fell upon the head of the Chief
of Gendarmerie, General Hjalmarson. He became tired of the
British-Belgian game of intrigue 2 ) by which his officers and
men were kept without their pay for months, and one day
ordered Major Pravitz without any more ado to get himself
9 They had been designated by Consul-Cxeneral Grahame as the officers
most popular with their men.
2 ) The British Consul at Shiraz telegraphs on February 18 th, 1915 ,
to his Minister: “The men (the gendarmerie of Fars) have not been paid
for two months and Pravitz fears a general break up.