Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎271r] (541/644)

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hand to run*these farms, subject only to the financial control of the Domains
Department of the Persian Ministry of Finance. Five hundred tons of wheat seed
were imported from India on loan from the British army and the first yeai s
crop is expected to amount to some 3,500 tons. For the second year it is hoped
to sow some 2,000 tons and the project should eventually provide a considerable
proportion of the wheat requirements of Khuzistan.
46. Meanwhile, everything possible is bein^ done to increase the area sown
1943. It has been agreed with the Persian Ministry of Agriculture that local
committees shall be set up with the co-operation of local British and Persian
Government officials and the* principal landowners to investigate every possibility
of coping with these and other problems. A systematic study, by regions, will be
made of seed requirements in order to arrange, if necessary, for imports of seen
in good time for the spring sowing. . .
47. In retrospect it may be said that while we were disappointed at the
ineffectiveness of the Persian Government in facing tneir food problem, oui
efforts were not entirely wasted. We shall have imported for the year 1942-43
only about half what we had to import for the year 1941-42 and of the half,
20,000 is to replace the 5,000 tons of wheat and 15,000 tons of barley which the
Persian Government undertook to supply to the Soviet authorities. This result
is attributable to the unremitting efforts of Mr. Sheridan, of this legation and oi
the consular liaison officers.
Commercial and Economic Questions.
48. Persia was profoundly affected by the limitation of sea-boi ne impoi ts
owing to the war and, at the same time we were anxious to ensure that proper
use was made of local supplies and resources so as to save shipping space and also
to reserve the northward lift on the roads and on the 1 rans-Iranian Railway
for supplies going to Russia. . ,
49 In March, Persia was included among the countries covered by the
activities of the Middle East Supply Centre, and a Combined Supplies Committee
was set up in Tehran, comprising British and American representatives, to deal
with all problems relating to civil supplies. At the request of this committee,
the Persian Government introduced an import licensing system in July, as a
result of which imports became gradually confined only to essential goods. About
26,000 tons of goods were licensed for import from the beginning of this control
until the end of the year. Shipping recommendations and information relating
to essential imports are sent to the Middle East Supply Centre in Cairo so that
Persia’s current and future needs may be co-ordinated with Middle East Supply
Centre planning for all the countries of the Middle East under its control.
During this period, also, investigations were carried out under the supervision
of the Combined Supplies Committee into means of saving shipping by the
development of Persian industries and natural resources in order to supply as
much of Persia’s needs as possible at home. For this reason and to make available
supplies of material in world short supply, the local production of the following
has been increased : copper, lead, chromium, antimony, sulphur, borax sodium
compounds, refractory materials, manganese ore, alum and coal.
49a. The Combined Supplies Committee is now the supervising committee
of a number of sub-committees specialising in specific problems or commodity
groups. At the end of the year the latter comprised an Agricultural Advisory
Committee, an Import Control Committee, a Mining and Chemical Development
Committee and a Medical Advisory Committee. All these are co-operating
actively with the Persian authorities concerned and reporting and making
recommendations to the Combined Supplies Committee.
50. Transport questions provided much material for controversy throughout
the year. Reza Shah having largely succeeded in abolishing the camel, Persia
is dependent on motor transport for the distribution of numerous commodities,
especially food-stuffs, on which the economic existence of the country depends.
■Imports of lorries and tyres were, however, drastically cut down in view of
Allied war needs and, in addition, the D^nited Kingdom Commercial Corporation
and the Russian Transport organisation contracted a considerable number of
Persian lorries to carry supplies to Russia. Unfortunately, the Persian Govern
ment were reluctant to take effective steps to rationalise their road transport
system. During the summer the U.K.C.C. endeavoured to effect a certain
rationalisation of it, but the Persian Government enlisted American sympathy
by complaining of attempts at a monopoly. Eventually much combined Allied
pressure was exerted : it ended in the formation of a Road Transport Board,