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enough and energetic enough to collect it. Meanwhile, Tehran still lives from day
to day, Khuzestan cannot feed its population, and His Majesty’s Consuls at Shiraz
and Kerman report that available stocks are almost exhausted and that supplies
will shortly be necessary from outside the province. It is estimated that Ears
requires 4,000 tons to last out until the next harvest.
Transport.
5. ^ The Persian Government Road Transport Department now contra
about 500 contracted lorries. This number does not include fifty lease-lend
lorries recently arrived for delivery to the Persian Government. Of these twenty-
five are immediately to be allotted for urgent anti-locust measures.
A ppointments — Civil.
6. —(i) Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, to be Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry
of Health.
(ii) Ali Motamedi (M.A. 175; F.O. 137), to be head of the Protocol Depart
ment of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
(iii) Ali Asghar Kaivan, to be Persian Consul at Bagdad.
(iv) Hussein Zinjani, to be Persian Consul at Basra.
(v) Hussein Quli I’tisam, to be first secretary to the Persian Consulate-
General at Baku.
(vi) Ahmad Zahir, to be secretary at the Persian Embassy, Angora.
(vii) Rukn-ud-Din Ashtiyani, to be secretary at the Persian Consulate-
General at Jerusalem.
Persian Forces.
A rmy.
7. I he Shah recently stated to the British Military Attache that he was
now following constitutional practice in his command of the army. All orders
requiring his approval were now brought up to him by the Minister for War,
and no order by himself was legal unless signed by the Minister. This is the form
without the substance, for in practice the Shah and the Chief of the General Staff
decide What is desirable before the latter submits proposals to the Minister for
War. The Shah still clings to his personal control of the army.
8. The strength of the force reported in Summary No. 2, 1943, paragraph 14
to have been sent to Miandoab is about 600.
9. General Ridley has proposed that the gendarmerie, while retaining its
separate identity, should be retransferred to the control of the Ministry for War.
(i) That since the present tasks of the army and the gendarmerie are the
same, viz., the restoration of security, division of responsibility leads
to inefficiency. ‘ J
(ii) That in present circumstances the gendarmerie requires the close
suppoit of the army, and that this is more likely to be achieved if both
forces are under the same control,
(iii) That a pooling of resources of officers, arms, transport and supply
facilities will lead to economy.
The question is now being discussed. The Shah supports General Ridley’s
proposal; the Prime Minister does not at present favour it, nor, it is believed
does Colonel Schwarzkopf, the American adviser to the gendarmerie.
Police.
1°. A Bill has been laid before the Majlis to authorise the establishment of
a college for the training of officers for the police with the object of endeavouring
to improve the standard of police officers.
Internal Security.
Pars.
11. There are no further developments in the situation in Fars. It is now
publicly known that General Shahbakhte is to be charged with the responsibility
for security in the province. He is now in Tehran receiving instructions from the
Government, and he is expected to leave for Shiraz in about a week’s time. He is
making it a condition of his acceptance of the responsibility that he is given
certain reinforcements and transport. The reinforcements have been promised,