Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎108r] (215/749)

3
15. A municipal tax of 40 dinars per litre has been imposed on petrol in
Tehran.
16. The increase in the price of bread (see Summary No. 22/43, para
graph 6 ) has aroused universal discontent among the poor. Local officials, fearing
riots, have in some places refused to apply it. In Ardebil there were riots in
protest, which the Russians are accused of having encouraged.
17. The Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Commerce and
^Industry that the following reforms are to be put into effect in factories :—
(a) Hours of work are to be reduced, especially for women and children.
(b) Children under 12 years of age not to be employed.
(c) Effective measures are to be taken to ensure the health of workers.
{d) The Workers’ Insurance Bill, when it becomes law, is to be strictly
enforced.
(e) Washing and recreation facilities are to be provided for the workers.
18. A postal airgraph service between Persia and Great Britain was
inaugurated on the 2nd June.
19. Locusts have been found in considerable numbers in the area Bam-
Zahidan, and swarms have been found as far to the north as Naim, Qum and
SabzavaL
A ppointments — Civil.
20.—(i) Ghulam Reza Ilhami to be Farmandar of Semnan.
(ii) Dr. Mahmud Mehran to be Director-General of the Ministry of Finance.
(iii) Mr. James Robinson, a member of Dr. Millspaugh’s staff, to be Director-
General of the Price Stabilisation Department.
(iv) Misbah Fatimi to be Governor-General of Khuzestan.
(v) Morteza Quli Khan Bakhtiari (F.O. 49; M.A. 60) to be Farmandar of
Bakhtiari.
Persian Forces.
Gendarmerie.
21. A Bill has been laid before the Majlis for the engagement of Colonel
Schwarzkopf, of the American army, and a maximum staff of seven American
assistants, as adviser to the Ministry of the Interior for the reorganisation of the
gendarmerie.
A ppointments — Military.
22 —(i) Sartip Abdur Reza Afkhami (F.O. 2; M.A. 2) to be Commander of
the 7th (Kerman) Division. , „ . ,
(ii) Sarhang Hussein Mahin to command the Mechanised Brigade.
(iii) Sarlashkar Abul Hussein Purzand to be Director of the Army Horse-
and Mule-Breeding Department. , , „ L „ ,• tv , . r
(iv) Sartip Ataullah Alai to be head of the Supplies Department ol
the army.
Internal Security.
23 Very little progress has been made with the operations for the
occuoation of Firuzabad. Persian troops have occupied Farashband, but the
main advance from Kavar is still held up, and it is now confirmed that this
column met with a reverse. Reinforcements of a battalion from Isfahan and
another from Tehran have been sent to General Shahbakhti. Casualties suneied
bv the Persian forces have been reported by General Shahbakhti to the Shah as
2 ^ killed and 105 wounded, mostly slightly. He also claims to have inflicted
very heavy casualties on the Qashgai. He reports that there is evidence that
.up operations of the tribes are being directed by Germans, who have also organised
a hospital in Firuzabad for the wounded. Heavy destruction has been carried
out on the Kavar-Firuzabad road. There have been minor robberies of drivers
on the road and the first serious interference with Russian convoys, when two
Russian trucks, driven by Persian drivers, were held up forced off the road and
bu nt It is reported that, in addition to the Darashun the Kashquh and
Farsimadan tribes are moving to their summer quarters, pillaging villages in
accordance with tribal custom on the way. 1 he Shishbuluki and smaller tribes
are apparently still in winter quarters and they must be in some discomfort.
The Mamassani and Dushmanziari tribes show no inclination to support Aasir
Qashgai and may even be persuaded to give active support to the Government.