Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎109r] (217/749)

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THIS DOCOMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOYERNMEN'/
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PERSIA.
SECRET.
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July 1, 1943.
Section 1.
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[E 3782/110/34] ^ Copy No.
*S 2 r /?. Bullard to Mr. Eden.—(Received 1 .^ July.)
(No. 249.)
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 24 for the periodSth to 14th June,
1943, compiled by the military attache to this legation. ^
Tehran, \bth June, 1943. ^ •*,
^ ^
Enclosure.
Military Attache's Intelligence Summary. No. 24, for the 'period
%th to IMh June, 1943.
m
Political. Persian Affairs.
1. The Shah and his party returned to Tehran on the 12 th June. During
his stay in Isfahan he visited troops, hospitals, mills, schools and neighbouring
villages. His Majesty’s Consul at Isfahan considers that the visit was a success.
2. In political circles the main topics of interest are the next elections
and the Income Tax Bill. It is to be feared that the opponents of the latter
are organising their forces more effectively than its supporters. The Bill is to
be examined by three Mailis Commissions, who will estimate its effects on
agriculture, commerce and the Budget.
3. In addition to those mentioned in Summary No. 23/43, paragraph 6 , the
following newspapers have now been allowed to re-appear : Nabard i Imruz,
Mihan Parastan, Azadegan.
Economic.
4. The bread, situation is now fairly satisfactory throughout the country.
In Tehran there were on the 6 th June over 7,500 tons of grain in reserve in
Government stores, of which, according to the Tehran press, 4.234 tons had been
received from Russia against the promised quantity of 25,000 tons. British
and American deliveries now total 17,500 tons of the'25,000 promised under the
Food Agreement. Reports from the provinces show that the bread supply of the
j principal towns is likely to be assured until the harvest. The prospect of a bumper
harvest is inducing hoarders to market their grain now, and generally plentiful
supplies of good bread are available for those who can pay the free prices.
| The next crop should produce a considerable surplus of grain over Persia’s
| requirements for the year, provided hoarding and smuggling can be prevented.
The Income Tax Bill has had the effect of making landlords more reluctant to
declare their surpluses, fearing that they may he taken as a basis for assessment
of income tax. In Khuzestan, where the crop is already harvested, a Government
Commission has been fairly successful in obtaining undertakings from the land
lords. In Bars the landlords, anxious to avoid the interference of Government
officials in the assessment and collection of their crops, have contracted to deliver
to Government 36,000 tons of wheat at the Government price, irrespective of their
surpluses. Similar arrangements may be made in Isfahan. Prices of foodstuffs
show a tendency to fall.
5. A Bill has been presented to the Majlis asking for sanction for a credit
of 160 million rials for the Persian Government munition factories. These
factories are manufacturing arms and ammunition for the Russians, and the
credit is required for the purchase of raw materials, to meet the cost of the
completion of the Machine Gun Factory An East India Company trading post. to enable it to manufacture machine
pistols, and for the running expenses of the factories. In the contract made with
the Russians the latter made no definite undertaking regarding the method,
time or rate of payment for arms taken over and they have as yet made no
payments.
6 . The Persian press states that the amount of revenue received from
indirect taxation during the year March 1942-February 1943 was 362.397,395
rials and that this was an increase of 104,033.395 rials over the receipts of the
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