Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎137r] (273/320)

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( 2 )
Fthjm British Legation, Tehran, No. 11, dated the 26th January 1940.
Tehran despatch No. 28 of 26th January to F. 0.
Enclosure to Serial No. (2).
J ehran Despatch to F. 0. No, 28 (13i4|40), dated the 26th January 1940.
In accordance with a now established custom I recently, as a newly-arrived
ivl mister, received a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to call upon
is Imperial Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness lives in the finest of
a group of palaces which have been constructed for the children of His Maiestv
ihe Shah. It is a very modern building, and of its kind handsome. The interior,
v inch is all marble and marquetene, shows that the people of Iran have been
spared no expense m its construction.
w + 2 i‘ T1 ?f • ma 1 nn i er of t ^. 1 Pri I lc " is 1 1 ittle more engaging than that of the Shah,
i 1 ?™ 1 g + l0 T 0f w e father becomes in the son a pessimistic petulance
imfJn at ^ ei ? 1 P t t0 restrain. It must be admitted that he takes a keen
interest in public affairs, especially international affairs. He kept me in con-
hTrrffn°m m ^ bc ^ re lus . fu11 5 hare > for a t least an hour. No one can blame
"r^ Purely Persian point of view, but he might be criticised for not dis-
nowprf ]t ^. llttl f,. 1 , n conversation with the representative of one of the belligerent
! i 18 dude was, roughly, that the war was a nuisance and ought not
*° bave h ^l] & °Tr happen. - Only Danzig - stood between the world and
peace. Perhaps the most spontaneous remark was that it was a great uitv
Germany had been “ driven into the arms of Russia That probably gives
m condensed form the Shah’s view of the war. Towards the end of conversa-
wisis the were C ^ 1 Koo8e 7 elt llafl spoken up at the time of the Munich
R ? if 1 gomg to do an > rthin ^ now ? 1 asked whether
he aahf’peace ^oposaL 8 0t mihtar> ' intervention of proposals, and
3. I will not occupy Yonr Lordship’s time with my replies. It was easv
to show that something more than Danzig stood between the world and peace'-
f- rneH t0 qUOte th ? an ;'!?gy,°f the last war when Germany would have wel-
^ i d fit 0 , p I rop ?® al ® whlle slie remained in possession of part of France and
early the whole of Belgium. But His Highness was evidently not convinced and
became no more cheerful I was. not surprised to find such opinions he bv His
SrGlttod^o^ Sa t' PriSCd t (and , VCTy glad) to hear^henfexpressed so
as to the ^l.ah V k i f ? r certain whe ?' e 0110 stands, as we had no illusions
cS to_ the Shah s attitude we^have no occasion to be disappointed. Fear of
lim^fl 1C Cemands oi P ea ce-time economic system must make the Shah
’4rs and hfsTnnLfi-P, o°Tt ,l? er ’ ,sh 1 ed in the . war > an d it is only his immediate
for help immediate military and economic needs that make him look to us
of Fvtel^fTff® 11 iS n being Seilt t0 Secretary to the Governmen.
Centre, Cairo K * 1 Afta,rs De P artm ent and to the Middle East Intelligence
(3) - '
Endorsement from British Embassy, Angora.
The Government of India (Foreign Department).
SECRET.
Enclosure to Serial No. 3.
Fhom British Embassy, Angora, No. 74!14[13|40), datro the 2nd February, 1940
The Afghan Ambassador questioned me closelv ln C f oc a •
, reception with regard to my viels on possible devebpmehs a^betwem, vTC
Afghanistan and Iran. Fair. Mohammed Khan expressed reLatedlwhf r f' 3
anxiety as to the attitude of the Iranian GovernS^X aPa^d to himTot
horonghly.fngh enedat the prospect of a Kussian threat Xexpres™d t
decided opinion that the Persian army would be unable to stand up Tor mon