Coll 28/9 ‘Persia; Internal affairs; Shah’s tours in Persia: general situation reports’ [‎106v] (223/1038)

small weight to-day. There are now Iranian women clerks working m the
National Bank and‘with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and women are seen
at all Public functions. They attended an official dinner for the first time on the
occasion of the Shah s birthday this year. ., . .
Ifi No sooner was the women’s emancipation movement well launched than
instructions came through that all officials must immediately obtain correct
regulation dress for official occasions and evening wear Those w o had not
conformed were excluded from the receptions on the Shah s birthday and at the
Nourouz, and note was taken of the names of those who failed to attend. The
local notables were advised that they were expected to follow suit and to obtain
morning coats, silk hats and evening dress This has probably caused more hard
ship and discontent than the previous changes. Local tailors, amongst whom
are many Indians, have reaped a golden harvest. It is perhaps partly because of
this that it is popularly supposed that His Majesty’s Government is the instigator
of the o direct interference with religious observances has been the
prohibition of processions at Muharrem for the last three years. Some opposition
has been encountered in Dizful and Shushter each year, where the people are less
mixed and more fanatical. . . . . i i? -Ti. j
18. The changes of names of scholastic institutions and of military and
police titles have been duly imposed on the anxious public, and Mohammerah has
become Khorramshahr, while a dozen small villages have been renamed. T ^se
changes have not been adopted too rigidly or rapidly. Considerable trouble has
been caused to European institutions and firms by the substitution of the word
Iran for Persia or its equivalent in European languages. This has necessitated
the changing of the names of the Imperial Bank of Persia, the Anglo-Persian Oil
Company, the Mesopotamia Persia Corporation and the Persian Transport
Company, and of various other non-Iranian organisations, but they have accepted
with as good a grace as possible a quite unwarrantable interference by the Iranian
Government with the mother tongue of many millions of foreigners.
19. The local administration during the past three years has been a
kaleidoscope of varying efficiency and honesty. Governors-General and Governors
at Khorramshahr and Abadan have come and gone. The first two Governors-
General known to the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. were ex-diplomats. Both came to grief owing to
peculations of subordinates. Since then former officials of the Finance Depart
ment have held the post, who have shown less social acumen, but have perhaps
been the better administrators. In practice, the General Officer Commanding
Troops has been the power behind, when not in front of, the scene throughout this
period. None of the Governors has ever entertained distinguished visitors,
Iranian or foreign, who are accommodated in a special railway bungalow or
imposed upon the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. In case after case the Governor-
General has shown a complete ignorance of what is going on in other Departments,
supposedly under his supervision. The military and naval authorities for the
most part treat him with disdain and fail to give him any information or help,
while the chief of police on occasion has told a Governor-General to attend to
his own affairs. The precise duties of a Governor-General seem to be undefined.
Apart from appearance on official occasions and occasional inspections of the more
accessible parts of the district, he is merely a post office for communication with
higher or other authorities, and has plenty of time to devote to collection of funds
for social, charitable and industrial purposes—earthquakes, hoods, school
excursions, beggars, swimming baths, factories—-and for exhorting the public
to form companies, to organise industries, and generally to put themselves under
the control of the authorities in their development schemes.
20. The Deputy-Governor usually acts as Rais-i-Belledieh, as do the
sub-Governors of Abadan and Khorramshahr. Since various regrettable
incidents in 1933 connected with road-making, municipal services have been
maintained as well as funds permit. In Ahwaz the roads have been kept m a
tolerable state of repair and decently clean, though reports from Khorramshahr
have complained constantly of the state of the one main road through the town.
Many new and better houses have been built after submission of plans to the
Belledieh. New official premises were at one time under construction surrounded
by a high wall, on which 80,000 rials were said to have been spent. This was
solemnly inaugurated by the Governor-General in the presence of all the officials,
but work was suspended the following; week, under instructions from Tehran