Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎73v] (146/749)

cuive and the people are approaching a state of desperation where riots may
occur. Minor riots have already occurred at Shiraz and Isfahan.
6. Comment is sometimes made nowadays, even by senior American officials,
contrasting very unfavourably to the British, conditions in the Russian-occupied
zone with those prevailing in the remainder of Persia. In the former, owing to the
restrictions imposed by the Russians on export to other parts of Persia, food is
plentiful and prices are low. An attempt to purchase sheep in the Northern
1 rovmces, where they are plentiful and relatively cheap, for British forces was ^
resented and blocked by the Russians. To advertise the advantages of the poorer
classes living in the Russian zone is deliberate Russian policy. Stories are in
circulation of Russian troops having prevented British purchasing agents from
removing food-stufts from the Northern Provinces out of consideration for the
needs of the local people.
7. A company to be called the National Joint Stock Commercial Corporation
(Shirkat Sehami Bazargani Melli) is to be formed with a capital of 120 million
rials for the purpose of import and export trade. One-third of the capital is to be
subscribed by the Tehran Chamber of Commerce.
Press.
8. Licences to publish have now been issued to fifteen more papers in Tehran,
making a total of twenty-eight.
A ppointments — Civil.
9. Zand Nispur, to be Farmandar of Qum.
Persian Forces.
A rmy.
10. Of the cadets admitted to the Military School at the annual intake in
September, 588 have now passed the four months’ period of probation. These
include a certain number who will pass to the reserve after a short period with
a unit.
The distribution is as follows :—
Infantry
... 231
Aviation ...
53
Cavalry
... 77
Medical
20
Engineers
... 43
Administrative ...
... 22
Signals ...
... 25
Unallotted
... 117
Persian troops in
Khuzestan have
now been formed into a
division <
two brigades, with headquarters at Ahwaz and Behbehan. Sarhang Humayun
is to command the division.
12. The brigades at Kermanshah and Khorramabad are to be formed into a
division, with headquarters at Kermanshah, commanded by Sartip Zarrabi.
13. The brigade organisation is to be abolished in the Persian army wherever
divisional headquarters can exercise direct command of units.
A 'p'pointments — Military.
14. —(i) Sartip Muhammad Hussein Amidi (M.A. 16 (a )), to command the
2nd (Tehran) Division.
(ii) Sarlashkar Farajullah Agevli (F.O. 25; M.A. 6), to be Military Governor
of Tehran.
Internal Security.
Pars.
15. The situation remains quiet. General Shahbakhte has left Tehran for
Shiraz. He has been appointed Governor-General of Fars and Commander-in-
Chief of Persian Forces in Khuzestan, Isfahan and Fars. He has been directed
to devote himself in the first place to the re-establishment of Government authoritv
in Fars, to the elimination of the influence of Nasir Qashgai; the apprehension
of Germans, and security of the Bushire-Shiraz road. He is later to turn his
attention to the Kuh-i-Galu, particularly the Boir Ahmadi tribes and the
Bakhtiari.
16. Nasir Qashgai is now reported to be at Dehram, some 30 miles south
west of Firuzabad, and to have some Germans there with him.
17. It is reliably reported that during the past fourteen months 488 highway
robbers have been apprehended in the Fars Province.