File 1749/1921 ‘Persian Gulf:- Residency news summaries 1921-25’ [‎14r] (40/494)

CONFIDENTIAL.
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Bushire Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Diary No. 15 for the month of August 1925.
Movements.
165. British officials. —Assistant Surgeon
A. L. Greenway, I.M.D., assumed charge
of the appointment of Quarantine Medical
Officer, Bandar Abbas, from Assistant Sur
geon D. L. Mackay on the 18th July.
Mr. R. G. Monypenny, H. M.’s Consul,
Ahwaz, returned to headquarters from his
summer tour on the 5th.
Captain G. Eccles, Commandant, Muscat
Levy Corps, arrived at Bushire on the 24th
and is the guest of the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. .
Persian Mahmud Khan, Gene
ral Officer Commanding, Southern Army,
arrived at Bushire on the 16th from Shiraz,
and left on the 19th for Muhammerah.
He called on the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. on the
morning of the 18th ; the call was returned
the same evening.
Foreign Representative. —Mr. G. G. Fuller,
American Vice-Consul, Bushire, returned
on the 10th from Tehran, whither he had
proceeded last year.
Health, Persian Ports.
166. The health of the Persian ports is
good.
Opium.
167. Reference paragraph 99. Mr. A. M.
Tracey Woodward was arrested on the 26th
by the American Vice-Consul, Bushire, and
is to be tried on the charge of illicit trading
in opium and contravening the United
States Narcotic Drugs Import and Export
Act. Details have been reported separate
ly to offices concerned.
Muhammerah.
168. Arab Rising. —Reference paragraph
159.
The Officer Commanding Persian Troops
mentioned to the British Vice-Consul at
Muhammerah that over 6,000 rifles (some
4,000 of British make) and some 2,000,000
rounds of ammunition had been found con
cealed in the Shaikh of Muhammerah’s
palace at Failiyeh. All have been sent to
Ahwaz.
It is reported that 15 of the Arabs cap
tured at Failiyeh have been sent to Ahwaz
and that the remainder—some 60—have
been disarmed, reprimanded and released.
Abdul Husain Dehdashti has been re
moved to Shiraz under escort.
The Shaikh’s yachts “ Ivy ” and
“ Mishrif ” and his river steamer “ Karun ”
are being used by the military authorities.
A panic was caused in Muhammerah on
the 7th by a rumour that the Arabs con
templated raiding the town that night.
A cordcn of troops was drawn around the
town and the Persian gunboat “ Khuzistan”
patrolled the river. The night, however,
passed without incident.
An exchange of shots took place at
Failiyeh beween 4 a.m. and sunrise on the
morning of the 15th between the Persian
garrison and a small party of Arabs who are
reported to have returned to remove valu
ables previously concealed there, and to
steal dates.
A motor lorry of the Anglo-Persian Oil
Company was attacked on the night of the
19th between Ahwaz and the Oilfields by a
few armed Arabs, and bof h Persian drivers
were wounded, one seriously. The military
authorities are taking steps to trace and
punish the offenders.
His Majesty's Consul at Ahwaz tele
graphed on the 29th that there were indi
cations of renewed unrest among the Arabs,
the immediate cause of which appears to be
the action of revenue officials in pressing
for the payment of taxes before the date
harvest from the tribesmen, many of whom
are destitute owing to famine.
169. British interests. —On the 4th, the
daily launch of the Mesopotamia-Persia
Corporation, in passing the Shaikh's palace
was hailed by some Persian troops. As it
did not stop the troops pursued and over
took her in another craft, and assaulted
the steersman, finally allowing her to pro
ceed. On a protest against this high
handed action being made by the British
Vice-Consul the Persian Officer Command
ing Troops personally visited the spot, and
later called on the British Vice-Consul to
apologise for the incident which, he ex
plained, was the action of a few ignorant
soldiers. He also assured the British Vice-
Consul that he would deal severely with
those responsible, and would issue orders
that no launches were to be interfered with.
170. Press .—The first number of a local
weekly named “ Khuzistan ” appeared on
the 11th. The leader reviewed the doings
of Shaikh Khazal in Khuzistan.