Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎83r] (165/248)

9
Dr. Millspaugh leaves hospital, and I will see that he is informed of the proposals
for dealing with recalcitrant landlords contained in the correspondence resting
with your telegram No. 736 of the 7th August, and his views obtained.
37. It is universally agreed that the yield throughout the country this year
has been good, but owing to reduced sowings in many areas as compared with those
of a few years ago, the harvest should not, I consider, be rated better than high
^average. Even so, provided proper measures were taken, there should be plenty
_>f grain to seed the towns till next harvest, to leave sufficient for the needs of the
villages, including ample seed, and to constitute a substantial reserve with which
to start next year. The doubtful factor is, of course, the ability of the Persian
Government to collect grain from unwilling landlords and to control speculation.
In promoting this object our consular officers and consular liaison officers
have been of inestimable value, as Mr. Sheridan himself testified on several
occasions before he left. They have witnessed sowings, assessed crops, obtained
undertakings, arranged forward contracts, brought abuses and corruption to
notice and generally done all in their power to ensure the success of this year’s
operations.
A rmed Forces.
38. There is nothing to record as regards land forces. The air force is
suffering from an acute shortage of aircraft and the almost complete lack of any
means of keeping serviceable the aircraft it has, since the British forces have
dispossessed it of its best airfields and almost the whole of its hangars and repair
shops. It is doubtful if it now has as many as twenty first-line aircraft fit for
operational use.
39. A policy has therefore been adopted of drastically reducing its establish
ment. This has coincided with the appointment of the energetic and unpopular
Colonel Mohanna as Chief of the Air Force.
40. His Majesty’s Government’s offer to train twelve Persian officers in-
England involves, in its revised form, a financial burden too heavy for the
Persian Government to bear. This will be a cause of very great disappointment,
particularly to the officers concerned, and it is hoped that some alternative offer
may be found possible.
41. The Minister for War has requested that in place of the ten Hurricanes
offered by His Majesty’s Government in replacement for aircraft taken over nearly
two years ago, a corresponding number of other aircraft may be made available
of a type which would more nearly meet the requirements of the Persian Air
Force, and which it might be able to maintain in a serviceable condition. This
shows a welcome preference for the practical over the showy, and if general
purposes aircraft can in fact be provided the efficiency and morale of the Persian
Air Force should greatly benefit.
42. It is satisfactory that, in spite of the discouragement which the Persian
Air Force has received ever since the occupation of the country by the Allies, no
air force officer was among those whose arrest was recently made for participa
tion in pro-German activities. This is in notable contrast to the army as a whole.
Press.
43. The steady flow of Allied victories during the last two and a half months
has led most of the papers to the assumption that peace is not far off and that
Persia should therefore be prepared to defend her rights at the Peace Conference.
Many papers have argued that she is suffering as much, if not more than, those
countries which were actually at war, and that her reward should be commensurate
with her sufferings. A few papers attributed these sufferings to Allied occupation
of the country and alleged that food-stuff's were being removed by the Allies,
but, on the whole, responsibility for the difficult food situation and the unbearably
high cost of living is placed on the Government, which is repeatedly and bitterly
attacked for its incompetent handling of these questions. The American advisers,
in particular Dr. Millspaugh, have come in for much criticism in this connexion,
and there is a tendency to despair of their efforts to remedy the financial and
economic situation of the country. A similar note of despondency is frequently
struck with regard to the forthcoming elections, the general opinion being that,
even if they were allowed to be carried through freely, the new Deputies will prove
no better than the members of the present Majlis.
44. Attacks on Reza Shah and those who were described as “ the
traitorous agents of the dictatorship ” have been frequent, and the present Shah
was more than once warned to behave in accordance with the Constitution.
Several papers overstepped the mark in their criticism of royalty and were