Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎71v] (142/320)

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( 19 )
(Received on 5th 31 arch 1938, with Political Secretary's Letter No. 7 dated
17th February 1938.)
(Enclosure in Weekly Letter, No. 7, dated 17th February 1938 from
Secretary, Political and Secret Department, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. .) ’
Letter from His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran, to the Foreign Office
London, No. E. 705/705/34, dated the 16th January 1938.
I ought to have written by last bag about the question of armed smugglers
(your telegram ]\o. 104 of November 9th and much previous correspondence)
Ihe last development was that Adi put up to the other Departments con
cerned a proposal that foreigners charged under the objectionable law, though
they would be tried and sentenced under its provisions, should be imprisoned
in the ordinary civil prisons under the Ministry of Justice. He said that if
18 ^ re c * ( ? ne there would be no difficulty about their communicating with
their Consuls and being visited in prison.
Unfortunately Adi left for Geneva before it was known whether this
system would be adopted. Samiy is, as you know, ill and likely to be so for
some time and I fear we shall have to wait for Adi’s return to get anything
final. Mohsein Rais, who is now in charge, is agreeable but terrified of
taking any decision and one can’t blame him.
There has till, so Adi tells me, been no case dealt with under the law.
One can only hope it may be in course of becoming a dead letter.
( 20 )
Copy to INDIA No. 7.
Letter from His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran, to the Foreign Office
London, No. 15 (10/13/38), dated the 15th January 1938. E ’
With reference to my telegrams Nos. 2 and 3 of the 10th January I have
the honour t° transnnt to you herewith an English translation of the article
attacking the English press which appeared in the “ Ittela ’ at ” of the 6th
January, together with the text of a similar article published in the “ Journal
de Teheran of the 12th January. The latter article is practically a tranX
rcknowledgmenfis'S. “ ^ ^ ” ° f the 10th Janua ^ "<>
2. Reference is made in these articles to the appearance in the English
of a whole series of articles hostile to Iran. This is clearly a gross exag|era
t on. It seems likely that one of the articles to which exception is tskfn t,
the report of Colonel W G. Grey’s address to the Barrow Lherai^ SocTety
in which he said that the Shah had once been a groom at the British 'Le.gation
and to which reference is made in your telegram No. 1 of the 1st Januarv'
Another is almost certainly that which appeared on page 8 of “ Everybody’s
Weekly of the 2oth December 1937, and a copy of which I enclose for
convenience of reference. Unfortunately I cannot reproduce the illustration
which appeared at the head of the article over the words “ Shah of Persia ”
and which was a photograph of Ahmad Shah ! This article is fonUstfoallv
inaccurate and it is indeed intelligible that the Shah should take exceptfon
fo’at” “ U Iran e ” 1 tnd U “ S fn USed l 1 H . reeent ly published in the “Itti-
la at Iran and Journal de Telforan is offensive out of all proportion
I have thought it well to forward to you the full text of two of these articles'
since they may provide useful material with which to meet anv fortW
requests for action to prevent the publication of articles in theBritishw
Indian press to which the Iranian Government object. His Maiesty’s Gov
ernment and the Government of India can scarcely be expected to Lku the
exceptional action necessary to influence the press in the United KWdom
or India when the Iranian press, strictly controlled by the Iranian Govern
ment, publishes articles such as those now in question. Govern