Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎110v] (220/749)

(iii) By collaborating closely with the Persian Government in prevention of
the export of essential good^
(iv) By paying customs dues on aljr the goods they import that are not
explicitly exempted.
(v) By refraining from pressing the Persian Government to spend money on
repairs of buildings, &c., occupied by Allied troops. 4
(yi) By abstaining from paying high wages to Persian labourers.
(vii) By revising contracts which compel the Persian Government to borrow'
money to pay for machinery and raw materials required for the
manufacture of munitions.
(viii) By agreeing that payment by the Persian Government for goods pii] 1 -
chased in Allied countries should be postponed until after the war.
Points (v) and (vii) are directed against the Russians, who recently asked
that the Persian Government should repair, at a cost of 30 million rials, Persian
barracks occupied by Soviet troops in Azerbaijan. Point (vii) refers to the con
tract made with the Persian Government for the manufacture of arms.
7. The Soviet indebtedness to Persia is estimated by the Director-General of
Finance to amount to approximately 180 million tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , of which 46 millions are
due to the Ministry of Food, 80 millions to the Railway Administration and
50 millions to the Customs. It would be interesting to know how the Soviet spend
the 83 million rials which they obtain monthly by their Financial Agreement
with the Persian Government.
8 . The press announces the arrival in Tehran by air from the United States
of gold purchased by the Persian Government with their dollar credits which is
to be sold with a view to bringing rials back to the Treasury. The amount is said
to be the equivalent of 500,000 dollars at the New York price of gold. Some of the
silver purchased by the Persian Government in India (see Summary No. 42/42,
paragraph 3) is also being put on the market.
9. The Ministry of Roads and Communications have been granted credits to
complete the Zinjan-Mianeh section of the railway line, and refused credits for
the completion of the line Shahrud-Sabzevar-Nishapur.
10 . Extracts from the Director-General of Finance’s Regulation No. 8 for
the control of the sale and use of motor vehicles and accessories are attached as an
appendix.
Persian Forces.
11 . The Minister for War states that General Ridley had written to him to
the effect that, in view of the lack of co-operation of the Persian military autho
rities he would be obliged to inform his Government that it was useless for him
and his mission to remain longer in Persia. General Ridley’s principal complaint
was that the General Staff would not let him have suitable officers to staff his
training and administrative depots (see Summary No. 24/43, paragraph 9).
General Ridley has said that he has now been promised the officers he wants; that
he is satisfied with the support he receives from the Minister for War, but meets
with much obstruction from the General Staff. There is no doubt that the Chief
of the General Staff, although he has grudgingly accepted a limited role for the
American advisers, does little to help them even within these limits. This question
has further widened the breach between the Ministry for War and the General
Staff. Discord became so serious that the Chief of the General Staff asked the
Shah to accept his resignation as he could not work with the Minister for War.
The Shah instructed him to take two months’ leave.
Internal Security.
Fars.
12. The statement in Summary No. 24/43, paragraph 13, to the effect that
Dr. Millspaugh had informed the Mamassanni Khans that their claims to land
could not be considered is incorrect. Dr. Millspaugh had given no such decision.
13. The situation in Fars, so far as it is known, remains much as it was
described in last week’s Summary. General Shahbakhti has made no movement of
importance, but he has stated that he intends to continue with the disarmament
of the Qashgai tribes. It is likely that he will come to some arrangement with
the tribes regarding the surrender of a certain proportion of their arms. Nasir
Qashgai is still in hiding, and is reported to have his brother with him. No
serious interference with the Bushire-Shiraz road has been reported.