Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎45r] (89/248)

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Schwarzkopf’s energy and drive will produce results in time. Handicapped as
he is by inadequate funds, inadequate American staff, the lack of any co-ordinated
‘policy on the part of the Government and an unwillingness on his part to admit
that the best may sometimes be the enemy of the good, he could perhaps not fairly
be expected to have effected much improvement in the time in an organisation as
demoralised, as lethargic and as lacking in any laudable ideal as the Persian
^ gendarmerie.
Persian Air Force.
44. The fifteen Anson aircraft have now been delivered but, as the air force
, has virtually no petrol, little use is being made of them.
45. The Persian Air Attache in London, Sarhang Bayendor, is in Tehran
discussing His Majesty’s Government’s offer to sell Hurricane aircraft to the
Persian Air Force and to provide training facilities for Persian officers.
46. Sarlashkar Nakchevan has now been in charge of the air force for some
two months producing no noticeable change in its efficiency. He talks good sense
about present and future policy, but there is little reason to hope that his practice
will be as good as his precept.
Civil Airlines.
47. None of the three Dominies ordered by the Ministry of Posts, Telegraphs
and Telephones for the State Airline has yet been delivered. In consequence the
airline has been obliged to discontinue its one service between Tehran and Bagdad,
while its sole remaining aircraft undergoes annual overhaul.
48. There is considerable interest in future civil airlines. A powerful
group, including Sarlashkar Nakhchevan, G. H. Ebtehaj (Mayor of Tehran and
Director of Irantour,” the Persian tourist agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ), an independent Deputy
called Panahi and a merchant, Kooros, is talking about separating the State
airline from Government control and setting up a commercial company for which
they hope to obtain the Government mail contract. Representatives of British
Overseas Airways Corporation have recently visited Tehran to discuss the
possibilities of British co-operation in Persian air transport.
49. Meanwhile the Russians continue to operate their internal services.
They have had one serious accident in which a British officer was among those
killed.
Finance.
50. The new Minister of Finance, Zarinkafsh, is a considerable improvement
on his predecessor. In particular, he seems far more prepared than his
predecessor to co-operate with Dr. Millspaugh.
51. The budget for the year 1323 (beginning on the 21st March, 1944) has
been under consideration by the Budgetary Commission of the Majlis for some
months past, and has not yet been before the Majlis itself. According to the
present figures, revenue and expenditure under the ordinary budget are estimated
at 3,958 and 4,569 million rials respectively; and revenue and expenditure under
the commercial budget at 6,367 and 5,755 million. No figures of revenue or
expenditure for the current year have yet been published, but the financial
counsellor is informed that for the first five months of the year, i.e., up to the
22nd August, they have been as follows. The figures for the same months in the
preceding year are given for comparison.
• /
Ordinary Budget.
(Millions of rials.) 52
1322. 1323.
Revenue ... ... ... ... ... 1534 1170
Expenditure ... ... 1349 1317
Commercial Budget.
(Millions of rials.)
1322. 1323.
Revenue ... ... ... ... ... 1169 1911
Expenditure 1382 1867
52. In the meantime, as the budget has not yet been approved by the Majlis,
expenditure has been financed by votes on account; sometimes, however, passed
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