Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎70v] (140/749)

3. Ihe Minister designated for the Ministry referred to in the preceding
paragraph is Dr. Musharraf Nafisi (F.O. 142; M.A 190). It is known that he
1S . ^7 the Shah, who probably nominated him for this post. He
“ ini ^er or hinance in a previous Cabinet and earned some public odium for
stabilising the rial-sterling exchange at 140.
4. Ihe declaration of war by Iraq occasioned little audible comment in
e ran. It is generally supposed that there is some secret agreement with Great
ntain which guarantees to Iraq some reward. Discreet feelers are, however,
now being put out towards His Majesty’s Legation to ascertain what reactions
would be to suggestions that Persia should follow Iraq’s lead.
Economic.
5. The Government has tabled a Bill for the regulation of sowing of crops
tor the next three years. I his Bill would empower the Ministry of Agriculture
to specify what crops are to be sown in each administrative district, according
to the needs of the country in food and raw materials. Agricultural commissions
would be formed in each district to ensure that sowing was in accordance with
plans.
6. In paragraph 4 of Summary No. 3/43 it was estimated that, taking into
consideration 25,000 tons which the Allies have promised to import and estimated
available surpluses in areas other than those in the Russian-occupied zone,
26,000 tons of cereals would be required to make good the deficit up to the next
j harvest. Indications are that very little will be allowed to leave the Russian zone
and it is now estimated that 7,100 tons of wheat and 16,500 tons of barley will
have to be imported from abroad. This is on the assumption that bread wilb
contain 60 per cent, of wheat and 40 per cent, of adulterants.
7. A decree of the Council of Ministers frees the import of cotton to Persia.
The import is limited to cotton grown in Russia, Egypt, India and Iraq. The
crop of local-grown cotton is insufficient to keep the spinning factories fully
employed. J
8. Military courts in Tehran have recently imposed sentences for seven cases
of infringement of the Anti-Hoarding Law of fines ranging from 10,000 to
5,000 rials and of imprisonment from forty days to two months.
Press.
9. A total of thirteen newspapers have now been given licences to publish
m Tehran. Before the general suppression of the Tehran press over forty were
appearing.
A jypointments — Civil.
10. —(i) Hussein Misbah, to be Farmandar of Bandar Abbas.
(ii) Dr. Nakhai. to be private secretary to the Prime Minister
(iii) Dr. AH Amini (F.O. 14; M.A. 19), to be head of the Persian Economic
Delegation m Washington.
(iv) Dr. Sajjadi (F.O. 183), to be Under-Secretary of State in the Prime
Minister s office.
Persian Forces.
A ppointments — Military.
11. —(i) Sarhang Humayun, to command Persian forces in Khuzestan (shortlv
to be formed as a division). v
(ii) Sarhang Muzafferi. to command the Khorramabad Brigade
(iii) Sarhang Khalatbari, to be Military Governor of Bakhtiari.
Internal Security.
Ears.
12. No further incidents have been reported since the raid on the Bushire-
Shiraz road by the Farsimadan reported in Summary No. 2/43, paraoraph 11
General Firuz has stated that he intends to make an early move on Firuzabad this
presumably to forestall General Shahbakhte’s assumption of responsibilitv
Reports say that Nasir Qashgai has already agreed to make no more than a token
opposition to this operation. Nasir himself was last reported far from Firuzabad
A zerbaijan.
13. Further reports have been received of the lawlessness of Jalali Kurds in
the vicinity of Maku.