Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎115v] (230/248)

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Internal Policy of the Government.
24. The Prime Minister certainly hopes that, with the aid of the American^
advisers, he will be able to achieve a far-reaching reform of the internal
administration of the country. Only one or two have as yet arrived, but,
meanwhile, the Prime Minister has shown considerable energy in tackling certain
internal problems. In the first place he has set up a new inspectorate, the duti^
of which will be to examine all cases of complaints, especially of bribery
extortion made against Government servants throughout the country. This
seems a step in the right direction, though it is as yet too early to say whether
the new office will be able to check the wide-spread corruption which pervades the
whole of the governmental machinery. The second reform is a series of changes
in the Ministry of Health. The new Minister, Dr. Mareban, has drastically cut
down the budgets of a number of hospitals in Tehran, and issued orders that a
considerable number of official doctors in Tehran should leave the capital for
provincial posts or else be dismissed. The doctors who are personally affected
are. of course, indignant, and stories of one doctor being posted to Kerman while
his wife, also a doctor, is sent to Hamadan lead one to suppose that the new
scheme has not been efficiently worked out; but most people consider that the
reform was badly needed and was a step in the right direction.
25. It is difficult to estimate the popular reactions to these innovations and
to the new Cabinet in general. There has been some criticism of the engaagement
of American advisers and there is a certain amount of opposition to the presence
of any foreigners in the Administration, but all sensible Persians deplore the
existing state of affairs and recognise the need for reform. The general public
is said to be pleased with the Prime Minister’s strict instructions that Govern
ment servants are not to break the fast of Ramzan in public; this step, which
is a definite break from the Pahlevi tradition, has, on the other hand, inevitably
given rise to apprehensions lest the forces of reaction should gather strength
and lead to the reintroduction of the veil for women and the renewal of the
power of the mullas. The Prime Minister’s broadcast on the anniversary of the
Shah’s accession on the 16th September (see my telegram No. 1204 of the
20th September) has had a good effect on public confidence : he appealed to the
public to keep out of politics and to have confidence that he would take all possible
measures to ensure food supplies and security.
26. The result of the Mukhtari trial, i.e., a series of sentences of imprison
ment on various dire charges, about which I shall address to you a separate
report, has just been announced, but seems to have attracted little attention;
those who think about it at all being divided into two classes : those who think
that Mukhtari should have been executed, and those who think that the faults
of the late Shah should not have been visited on any of his slavish subordinates.
It is convenient that the public has lost interest; meanwhile, appeal proceedings
are being started.
Conclusion.
27. To conclude this rather lengthy review, I venture to state that it is
reasonable to hope for an improvement in the situation as compared with the
confusion of the summer months, provided always that no serious deterioration
in the military situation occurs. We have had very considerable difficulties with
Qawam-es-Saltaneh, but we cannot hope for complete subservience from any man
with sufficient character to govern this most intractable and venal country, and
Qawam has at any rate now discovered that, where our essential military interests
are concerned, we mean business and shall judge him by his attitude towards them.
28. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Minister of State, Cairo,
to Headquarters, Iraq-Persia Forces, to Tenth Army, to the Government of
India, to His Majesty’s Embassy at Bagdad and His Majesty’s Embassy at
Kuibyshev.
I have, &c.
R. W. BULLARD.