مجموعة ٢٨ /٦٧ "بلاد فارس: تقارير سنوية، ١٩٣٢-" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٣] (٦٤٤/٢٤٥)

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(8) Japanese Trading Activities.
414. Japanese activity continued unchecked throughout the economic year
(June 1933-June 1934), and as a result mainly of increased sales of cotton piece-
goods, Japan rose for the first time to second place in the list of exporters to the
Persian market. In respect of cotton yarn, however, sales were reduced, partly
as a result of local production and partly owing to a certain recovery in Indian
sales.
415. Japanese trade with Persia was again very one-sided, imports being
82 million rials and exports little more than 14 million rials. In addition to
cotton piece-goods valued at 57-7 million rials, Japanese imports to 1 ersia
included cotton yarns valued at about 8 million rials, earthernware 2 million
rials, glassware i million rials, woollen goods 760,000 rials and tea 528,000 rials.
416. Having made her peace with the Soviet Union, Persia is no longer
content to allow the Japanese to sell so much and buy so little. The import
monopoly for cotton piece-goods is believed to have been designed largely to
reduce imports of these goods from Japan. With normal development of poviet-
Persian trading relations, it is likely that Japanese enterprise m Persia will
suffer a set-hack, but their low prices will probably enable them to compete advan
tageously with non-Soviet goods, unless Persian measures to ensure a more
favourable balance of trade with Japan are made much more effective.
417 Four Japanese ships visited Persian Gulf ports during the eleven
months ending November 1934 and in December it was reported that the Nippon
Yusen Kaisha and Shoshen Kaisha combine had commenced the operation of a
monthly service from Japan to the Persian Gulf, the first vessel being due at
Basra in January 1935. Outward and homeward freights are to be only between
Far Eastern and Persian Gulf ports, competition with the British Imba trade
between India and the Gulf being thus avoided.
418 Negotiations for a Japanese concession to exploit salt deposits near
Charbar were reported to have fallen through. A rumour that the Japanese
were negotiating for the concession of the red oxide deposits at Hormuz was not
confirmed.
(9) Italian Activities.
419 Italian participation in railway construction was reported in
paragraph 589 of the report for 1933. Large numbers of Italian workmen
arrived in Persia in the course of last year in connexion with these contiacts. A
soeech bv Signor Mussolini early in the summer expressing keen Italian interest
i„ and affinities with the Near and Middle East was not particularly well received
in Persia and it was rumoured at the time that no more Italian workmen would
be allowed to enter the country. This rumour was not substantiated and further
parties of Italians have since arrived, but no further railway contracts have been
awarded to Italian firms during the year.
420 An Italian group headed by a Signor Eibenstein visited Persia during
the summer representing Italian financial and export interests They weie
under” to be interested in the market for electrical equipment, cotton piece-
goods (mainly gabardines), woollen yarns and mercerised cotton yarns, and the
exnort from Persia of raw cotton, rice and skins. They were also interested m
the call for tenders for the construction of a silk mill at Deh Noe, but the order
was given to a French concern.
421 Renresentatives of the Levant Fair at Bari visited Persia in July in
the course of a tour of the Near and Middle East, but it was stated at the time
that Persia did not intend to be represented at the 1935 lair.
422 An Italian shipping line started a regular service of small cargo
steamers to Gulf ports, but it was understood that this service was not likely to
nreiudice or compete seriously with British shipping interests in the Gulf. It
was later understood that the line was not a paying proposition, and that
mysterious negotiations had been proceeding to obtain some form of 1 ersian
assistance to enable the service to continue.