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that private merchants have an equal amount in shops, stores and custom houses.
The Iranian cotton crop is now being gathered, hut it is not yet possible to say
what the total collected will amount to. There are no indications than any pest
or other harmful influence has reduced the estimated yield, and a figure of
approximately 14,000 tons of ginned cotton is expected.
27. Stocks of oil in Tehran on the 31st December were as follows : —
Benzine
Kerosene
Gas Oil
Fuel Oil
Days.
36-8
47-6
31-3
30-5
28. During the month the Persian Government were able to supply detailed
inventories of stocks held at Gulf ports. These will greatly assist the Allied
supply authorities in Persia, particularly in regard to granting of future supplies
for Persia by the supply authorities in London and Washington, who havfc
hitherto been reluctant to commit themselves to forward planning without
knowing exactly what stocks were lying at Persian ports.
29. The question of supplying ships’ bunkers in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. area with
North Persian coal is once again being re-examined. This time the examination
is being carried out, at our request, by the American military authorities, with a
view to obviating the political difficulties which prevented any progress being
made when the project was first attempted over a year ago. Supplies of pit
timber are now adequate, and good stocks of coal are to he had at the majority of
pit-heads. The main difficulty, however, is still transport.
30. On the 31st December contracts had been made for 326,859 tons of food
supplies, of which 230,691 tons of cereals had been collected. In comparison with
the previous month, contracts and undertakings showed an increase of 52,856 tons,
and collections an increase of 90,268 tons. The present stocks in the Tehran
silo amounted to 16,507 on that date, although almost 10,000 tons of this were
adulterants. Collections in the northern zone have now started, and about 9,000
tons have been received out of the 40,000 tons promised, while the transport of
grain from the southern zone is proceeding satisfactorily.
31. Most of the grain from the north has come from Gurgan. Only a small
quantity has been received from Khorassan, where the Governor-General and the
Finance Department are evidently playing a double game. Tabriz results are
even more disappointing; not one ton has been sent from there to Tehran. The
Soviet Embassy profess to be concerned and complain about the slackness of the
officials, but it is impossible to believe in the sincerity of their professions,
especially when one remembers how last year the Soviet Government, without
warning to its Allies, produced 25,000 tons of wheat for Tehran at the moment
when the delivery of wheat from North America had begun to relieve the shortage
of bread and to improve its quality.
32. Road transport and the collection of cereals were the two main
problems engaging the attention of the authorities in Persia during December.
Several officials, both British and American, whose task it will he "to assist in
solving these two problems, arriving in Tehran during the month. The collection
of grain continues fairly satisfactorily, and is being materially assisted through
the supply of trucks by the British military authorities.
33. During the month negotiations were begun about the procurement of
the 1944 paper requirements for Persia from the United States. No final
decisions have yet been reached, but the possibility of part of the paper supplies
being imported by reliable importers on behalf of the Government is beino'
considered.
Transport.
34. The targets for rail allocations for December were 6,000 tons of civil
goods from the south and 9,600 tons of cereals from Sultanabad and other near-by
stations. Against these target figures, approximately 4,000 tons of goods were
moved from the south, and 7,400 tons of cereals from intermediate stations. The
total Aid-to-Russia tonnage carried during November (i.e., latest available
figures), excluding the East Persia route, was :—
Tons daily.
Rail 4,920
Road 3,034
or about 239,000 tons a month.