Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎37r] (73/749)

A
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
©
PERS
flLE COPY
September 22, 1942.
ET.
5615/19/34]
With the Complimentsjj
of the
Under Secretary
Section 2.
for Foreign Aif
r" jT. *
5454
JWB
Copy No. 114
Sir R. Bullard to Mr. Eden. — {Received, Jleptemdjcr 22.)
■ B • —
(No. 306.)
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligencv Summary No. 37. 9th-15th September, compiled
by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, September 15, 1942.
(Secret.)
Enclosure.
Military A ttache's Intelligence Summary No. 37. for die period
September 9-15, 1942. Q.
Political.
Persian A ffairs.
1. There are indications that the Prime Minister is improving his position
in the country. The atmosphere is certainly calmer, and while in the north
there is considerable anxiety about the war situation, signs of confidence that
there is now an experienced hand at the helm are beginning to be evident. Orders
by the Prime Minister prohibiting any public breaking of the fast during the
month of Ramadan have pleased the uneducated classes, who still value the
observance of religious formalities. The suppression of certain newspapers has
had a very sobering effect on the remainder. Something also is hoped for from
the appointment of a body of inspectors to be attached to the Prime Minister’s
pffice, who are to be selected from men of good reputation. They are to investigate
complaints made against Ministries, Departments or their staffs, and will have
the right to visit all administrations at any time to investigate whether work is
being carried out in accordance with the orders of Government.
Medical.
2. i he Ministry of Hygiene has decided that there are too many doctors
in the capital and too few in the provinces. All doctors in Government employ
will in future serve for at least two years in the provinces. An establishment
of doctors, pharmacists and midwives has been laid down for the services of the
Ministry of Hygiene in the capital, and all those in Government employ surplus
to this establishment will be transferred to the provinces. This is a very necessary
measure, as the provinces are disgracefully neglected in the matter of medical
services.
Economic.
3. All provinces except Khorassan and Azerbaijan make serious reports
on the wheat situation. In the provinces of Khuzestan and Kermanshah at least
the seriousness is not due to lack of wheat but to its having been to a large extent
concealed. His Majesty’s Consul-General in Khorassan estimates that the
collection of grain for Government in that province will total 27,000 tons of
wheat and 8,000 tons of barley. The Soviet Consul-General in Azerbaijan
estimates that the province should have 35,000 tons of wheat surplus for export
,to the south. The Governor-General considers that this estimate should be
halved. '