Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎52v] (104/749)

U.S.S.R. and the National Bank of Persia shall open accounts with each other in
rials, without interest. These accounts to be settled half-yearly, the debtor bank
placing at the disposal of the creditor bank gold to the extent of 40 per cent, of
the balance due and 60 per cent, in dollar credits. The gold remains deposited
with the debtor bank until the end of the war, unless the creditor bank wishes to
remove it at its own risk and expense. In effect, the agreement means that the
Soviet would obtain whatever Persian currency it needs and supply such goods
as it can spare, the difference in value being eventually settled as to 40 per cen^^
in gold and 60 per cent, in dollar credits.
Economic.
6. The wheat situation has in no way improved. In the provinces, with
the exception of those in the north, amounts collected in Government depots are
still rar short of what is required to feed the provincial towns. Provincial officials
consequently are concerned to obstruct the removal of wheat from their own
provinces to the capital or to other centres. Tehran still lives from day to day,
depending on the arrival of supplies from the Russian-occupied zone.
7. As a result of the urgent representations of the American adviser to
the Ministry of Food, purchases of certain food-stuffs for civilian Poles have been
considerably reduced. Eggs, for example, which were previously purchased at
the rate of 26,000 a day, have now been reduced to 2,400 a day. The high livino >
of the Polish refugees was not only a constant irritation to hungry Persians, but
was also a cause of shortage and high prices of certain commodities.
8. The following are the prices ruling in the Isfahan bazaar :—
Wheat
Rice, first quality
Rice, second quality
Barley
Peas
Potatoes
Per ton.
Rials.
5.400
10,500
6,000
3,750
7,500
3.600
Communications.
9. The Tehran-Tabriz railway has now been completed as far as Mianeh
Construction trains have been through, and traffic, which now stops at Zinian
will shortly run through to Mianeh. F J ’
A pf ointments — Civil.
.W Suleiman Kalhur, to be Governor of Kazvin vice Qiami resigned
Bank* 1 " j (M ' A ' 116> F 0 ' 88) ’ t0 be S overn ° r of ^ National
, Dl - Daftari to be managing director of the Mortgage Bank
(iv) Sahamiddm Ghaffari (Zoka-ed-Douleh) (M.A. 97, F.O. 77) to be director
of the Press and Propaganda Department. ’ director
rersian t orces.
A appointments — Military.
^• (0 Sarhang Mohamed Ali Alavi, now director nf <±fVi "nn £
the General Staff, to be head of the secretariat of the General Staff 16aU °
General Steffi 6 &hulam Reza Shahin, to be director of the 4th Bureau of the
iniemat security.
1 12. Evidence has been obtained that makes it nm'tP pIaqt. fUof xr • rA t
(is the centre of an anti-Ally and pr“mL q mov„ QaShgai
reconnaissance has discovered a secret aernHmmo i Moreover, air
sheet H. 39 W) in Pars marked so as te imZtt I f t0 Farrashba “d (binch
I expected to land. The plot, of which he is a couspicuoiK i Wa ® shortl y
South Persia, has extensive ramifications. He is still in m u'oi iff' 88 r f? ar ^ s
Government by telegraph. He has sent his mother and smafl so, of 7n h 6
to Shiraz as hostages for his good behaviour and has promised tha hf 1 n yearS
to Tehran when he has collected the arms of the ^hgal As het ^