His first step was to deal with the bullying of the shopkeepers others who were not really in sympathy with the strike. To end the Government issued an Ordinance authorizing the punish ment of any person convicted of persuading tradesmen against opening their shops with a maximum sentence of six months' imprisonment and a fine of six hundred rupees. At the same time the Baghdad Municipal Council passed a resolution exempting a large number of minor trades and crafts from taxation. These measures coupled with the Prime Minister's personal influence put an end to the strike in Baghdad and by the evening of 18th July normal conditions had been restored. During the fortnight for which the strike lasted in Baghdad attempts were made to raise a similar movement in the provinces. In the north there was little response but in the south subversive propaganda was more effective. In Diwaniya the situation caused anxiety for a few days as the closing of the shops in the town excited the tribes, and several warlike concentrations of tribesmen gathered, ready to loot the towns if it should appear that the Government had lost control. The protesting shopkeepers, however, realized that they would be the first victims of disorder and quickly re-opened their shops. Frequent demonstrations by Royal Air Force machines also had a restraining influence on the tribes. On 15th July disorders occurred in Nasariya and Basra. In both places agitators profited from the opportunity afforded by the large gatherings of people celebrating the anniversary of the Prophet's death, to incite the hooligan element to attack the police. At Nasariya, after one fatal casualty had been inflicted, the crowd was dispersed and there was no further outbreak of lawlessness. In Basra, however, a more serious situation developed owing to the weakness of the police force and the number of widely dis tributed centres to be protected. Some Government buildings were attacked; there was firing on both sides and several persons were killed. 'Iraqi troops were called out to assist the civil authorities, and police and military reinforcements were hurried to Basra by train and air from Baghdad. By 18th July order had again been established and the shops were open and normal conditions restored. Local trade everywhere suffered much loss through the strike but domestic inconvenience was far less than would be imagined. All public services were maintained without interruption and food supplies were easily obtained from the shopkeepers' houses instead of their shops. On 31st May the Persian Government declared that the outbreak finished and asked for the restrictions to be removed in accordance with the International Sanitary Convention. therefore removed on 7th June. They were A few cases of cholera were reported from Bombay continuously during the year and from 6th July the 'Iraqi Government placed the usual restrictions on travellers from Bombay. The steamship Kohistan sailing from London to Basra called at Bushire and Kowait on 22nd July, and arrived at Basra on 23rd July. At Bushire, Persian coolies were embarked and carried to Basra for the purpose of loading and unloading cargo there. On arrival at Basra on 23rd July (one day from Bushire) no person was sick on board and the boat was passed into the wharves with free pratique. On 27th July (the fifth day after leaving Bushire), one of the Persian coolies on board was ill and died from 28th a second case and on the 29th a third case were removed from cholera. On the the boat. On first confirmation of the disease on 28th July, the ship was quarantined in the stream and inoculation and disinfecting measures applied. No further case occurred on board and no notification of any case in the City or Port reached the Medical Officer of Health until 8th August. In the meantime restrictions were placed upon all arrivals from the Persian Gulf (Health Service Notification No. 8117 dated 29th July) and all Basra Port and Wharf labour and officials were inoculated. On 8th August, nine cases were notified in several quarters of Basra City. The numbers then increased rapidly until in six days over 50 cases were occurring daily. An intensive inoculation campaign was immediately put in force with all the resources available and by 21st August, over 200,000 persons had been inoculated. Travel by sea, air, river, rail, or road to and from Basra was at once controlled. In some cases movement was prohibited and in others inoculation or quarantine was enforced (Health Service Notification No. 8598 dated 9th August). authorities and neighbouring countries were informed and the The international defence of 'Iraq against this invasion of cholera was organized. Basra was surrounded by a police cordon and traffic on the river, railway, and roads was limited and strictly controlled. In spite of all that could be done, however, on 15th August the disease had already been spread to Qurna by persons from Basra who during the night evaded the police control on the river. Amara was infected on 22nd August, and the Hammar Lake area of the Muntafiq liwa on 27th August; and Nasariya town followed on 1st September. 6.--The Cholera Outbreak. In May, 1931, an outbreak of cholera with over 100 cases occurred in the Rafsinjan area of Southern Persia near Kerman, and in con sequence the 'Iraqi Government placed restrictions on the entry of travellers from Bandar Abbas.
