Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎66v] (132/749)

'^ v * ser ’ * S - alread . v as ki n g for 20.000 toils of wheat^in addition to the
V 25,000 tons promised.
V^Transport.
5. A Road I ransport Board, composed of British, American and Persian
lepresentatives, has now been formed to control the use of civilian motor transport'-'*
m 1 ersia and the distribution of tyres and spare parts with a view to ensuring - "*
°v! one h an cl that Persia has sufficient transport for essential needs, and on
the other that motor transport is not wasted on unessential tasks.
Press.
6. Licences have been issued to four daily papers to recommence publication.
A ppointments — Civil.
^' r (i) Assad Bahadur (M.A. 44), to* be Controller of the Household at the
Court.
(ii) Ibrahim Zand, to be Director of the Royal Palaces.
(iii) Amanullah Ardalan, to be managing director of the Mortgage Bank.
(iv) Muhammad Ali Majd, Farmandar of Resht, to be Ustandar of the
1st Ustan.
(v) Ahmad Mushaikhi, Inspector in the Ministry of the Interior, to be
Farmandar of Zinjan.
(vi) Ahmad Salahi, Farmandar of Qum, to be Farmandar of Kermanshah
and Deputy Ustandar of the 5th Ustan.
Persian Forces.
Police.
8- Light police officers of the rank of lieutenant-colonel and above have been
placed on the retired list, i he following appointments have been made :—
(i) Colonel Sharif, to be head of the Information Bureau.
(ii) Colonel Arta, to be head of the Inspection Department.
(m) Lieutenant-Colonel furij Amin, to be acting head of the Prisons
Department.
(i\) Lieutenant-Colonel Ilisam Vaziri, to be head of the Staff Department.
( v ) Lieutenant-Colonel Jahangiri, to be assistant commandant of the Central
Police Station.
Army.
9. Certain of General Ridley’s proposals for the reform of the army have
been approved by the fehah, notably the establishment of recruit training depots
at the headquarters of all divisions, and of supply depots independent of formation
commanders; the temporary disbandment of field artillery units, with the
exception of one regiment for Tehran, and the formation from the animals released
of pack and draught transport units; and the immediate institution of a motor
driving school in Tehran. General Ridley says he is well satisfied with the
co-operation he is receiving from the Chief of the General Staff and other Persian
officers. It remains to be seen whether he will be equally satisfied when it comes
to the execution of his plans.
General Ridley's position is still indefinite. He has, in fact, as yet no official
position at all, and it seems that he is in no hurry to force an issue on this point
10. A new Bill to amend the Conscription Law has been laid before the
Majlis. The text has not yet been made public. A previous Bill for this purpose
led to a crisis between the Prime Minister and the Deputies and was withdrawn
(see Summary No. 39/42, paragraph 1).
Internal Security.
Pars.
11. Qashgai tribesmen, reported as a strong band, principally of the
Farsimadan sub-tribe, on the 6th January raided the Bushire-Shiraz road at
the top of the Pir-i-Zan Pass and looted a lorry carrying sugar and piece-^oods
Seven gendarmes, returning to their post on this lorry, are reported to have had
a fight with the laideis, killed six of them and had five casualties themselves
The same oand attacked road labourers on the following day, killing one man