Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎192r] (383/644)

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(2) Press.
263. I he Journal de Teheran, published entirely in French, has continued
to disseminate Government propaganda; it is well printed, publishes selected
photographs which are usually quite recognisable, and serves up to foreigners
exactly the pabulum which the Government wishes them to digest. Important
events of a controversial nature are often ignored. The vernacular papers have
also continued to publish exactly what the police allow or direct.
264. The Royal sensitiveness to criticism in the foreign press seems to have
reached an acute stage during the year. The Minister in Paris was certainly
recalled owing to the vapourings of a writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. in one of the Paris revues.
According to rumours, the real reason for the withdrawal of the Ministers from
London, Berne and Brussels was similar.
(3) The Strike in the National Teachers’ College.
265. Towards the end of the year a rather remarkable strike took place
in the National Teachers’ College at Tehran. A number of students are trained
by that institution for about five years, at very low rates, in return for which they
sign an undertaking to teach in the college, at a low salary, in order to pay back
the balance which they owe. About 300 of them, however, combined together
and refused to adhere to this arrangement, but proposed to pay back the balance
in cash and take a full discharge, in order that they might earn high salaries in
some of the recently-formed monopoly companies. Policemen and armed soldiers
were summoned, and certain ringleaders were put in prison. Eventually, after
the mediation of one of the staff named Dr. Reza-zadeh Shafagh, the matter was
settled. He appears to have found that the students were justified in their action,
and in principle the students are now free to pay the balance in cash and seek
employment where they will. The crux of the matter is no doubt the fact that
the salaries paid to teachers are exceedingly small, while the cost of living has
gone up.
266. The Government, however, is said to be making plans for the stabili
sation of salaries paid by the monopoly companies on some uniform basis; if so,
perhaps the strikers will find that they are not so much better off after all.
IV.— Military Affairs.
(A) —The Army.
(1) G eneral.
267. The Iranian army is surrounded by as impenetrable a fog of secrecy as
ever. The contributory causes are probably three and in almost equal proportions,
viz., a fear of espionage, a fear of losing by comparison and a failure to
distinguish between espionage and that liaison which is commonly maintained
between the General Staffs of more advanced countries. When the lack of a free
press is taken into account it will be realised that almost every vent for legitimate
intelligence is closed. During the past year the strength of the army has
increased by nearly 10,000 men. A considerable quantity of war material has
been purchased, and the amount expended on the services has risen by £1| million
sterling and now represents 37 5 per cent, of the total budgeted expenditure of
the country. Those troops engaged on frontier security have suffered no defeats.
There have been no cases of serious disaffection. Training has been carried on
without interruption. The efficiency of the Iranian army, therefore, if not
accurately computable, does not at least appear to be any less than in the preceding
year.
(2) Expenditure.
268. In the estimates for the Iranian year 1315 (the 21st March, 1936, to the
20th March, 1937), the credit provided for the Ministry of War is 243,729,980
rials, or about £3,046,624 at present rates. This sum includes provision for the
navy and the air force, for which no separate heads are shown. It shows an
increase of 20 million rials (£250,000) over last year’s figures; 400,000 rials