Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎80r] (159/248)

protected by that immunity he would leave Qashgai territory; the Government
should immediately return to Nasir those of his lands now held by the Govern
ment.
11. Although the acceptance of these terms is almost a surrender by the
Government to the Qashgai and in all probability merely postpones a trial of
strength, I did not feel justified in advising them to reject them, realising that
they must play for time. I informed the Prime Minister that it was for his
/-^Government to decide the terms of settlement that should be made with the tribes,
but that I should not be satisfied unless they included an undertaking that the
Qashgai would hand over any Germans in their territory and would allow British
officials free movement among the tribes. Krosrow signed an undertaking to
this effect before leaving Tehran. I also impressed on the Prime Minister that
the retention of Qavam ul Mulk as governor-general in Ears was essential if I
was to be sure that British interests were not being neglected. I informed him
that our confidence in the Qavam had been strengthened by the discovery in a
diary found on a captured German agent, that the Qavam s appointment to
Shiraz was regarded by the Germans with great alarm.
12. In spite of the conciliatory replies given by the Government to Khosrow
and their perhaps too evident desire to settle the trouble in Pars by peaceful
means, Nasir continues to profess dissatisfaction with the assurances given,
and he has refused friendly invitations from the governor-general and the Persian
general officer commanding in Ears, supported by the advice of His Majesty’s
Consul, to visit Shiraz for further discussion. He is now using the pretext
that it is his distrust of Qavam ul Mulk that is hindering a settlement. There
can, however, now be little doubt that Nasir has only been playing for time and
that nothing but force or the threat of force will induce him to abandon his
pretensions to be the power in Ears. It is reliably reported that he is harbouring
the absconding Deputy, Nowbakht, and his son, whose arrest had been demanded
by the Allies, and that, in spite of Khosrow’s written undertaking, there are
still Germans in Qashgai territory. There is, however, reason to hope that
the influence for evil of Germans with the tribes has weakened. Abul Qasim,
the rebel Bakhtiari leader, has already surrendered against a pardon and is
now in Tehran; there are dissensions among the Boir Ahmadi chiefs, all of
whom are, in various ways, making approaches to the Government, though
possibly with no more sincere intention than that of gaining time, and, for the
time being, the Qashgai have ceased their brigandage. But the elements of
disorder are still present, German agents have still the opportunity to incite
attacks against our interests, and the foundations of a lasting peace will not be
laid until the Persian Government and its forces are strong enough to dictate to
the tribes. The Minister for War is now visiting Ears to study the situation on -
the spot. ^
Tribal Situation — Kurdistan.
13. In Northern Kurdistan, although tribal territory is still almost entirely
free from Persian control, the fear of Russian action has confined Kurdish
lawlessness within reasonable limits. There has been some raiding across the
Turkish border, and the Turkish sheep brought back are reported to have found
ready purchasers among the Soviet troops. In Southern Kurdistan, where we
are more closely interested, the uneasy peace that has prevailed for some time
seemed likely to be disturbed by the escape from Iraqi surveillance and the return
to Persia of that troublesome chief, Mahmud Dizli. He endeavoured to rally
certain Kurdish chiefs to his support, wrote threatening letters to the commander
of the local Persian troops demanding the withdrawal of his forces even further
from tribal territory, and then ventured to attack these troops. He was repulsed
with some loss, and as, at approximately the same time, a minor operation drove
another troublesome chief, Suleiman Rukhzadeh Jaf, back to Iraq, the tribal
bellicosity fizzled out. Attempts have been made by German agents to get into
contact with some of the Southern Kurdish tribes to prepare them for the arrival
of parachutists and to induce them to prepare landing grounds, but reliable
information is not available as to the extent to which the tribes have been
responsive.
Security.
14. In view of the serious deterioration in the general political situation,
which was being exploited by enemy agents, and the dropping of German
parachutists in various parts of Persia, and of the possible breakdown of Govern-
\ment. I recommended, amongst other things, that full use should be made of any