Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎112v] (224/749)

2
Economic.
6 . In the preamble to the Bill asking the Majlis to sanction a loan of
500 million rials by the National Bank to the Ministry of Food, the Government
explains that of the 750 million rials previously borrowed 579,180,000 rials
represented the loss to Government in selling bread at a price lower than its cost.
7. In March last the Majlis sanctioned the exchange of gold coins, held
by the Treasury as backing for the note issue, against gold ingots to be imported | g^
by the British authorities. These ingots have now arrived and have been
exchanged for gold coins which are now being sold to the public on British account
by the National and Imperial Banks. The rials so obtained will be available for
British expenditure in Persia without increasing the note issue. The price of
gold has dropped.
8 . By his Regulation No. 9 the Director-General of Finance
(Dr, Millspaugh) has decreed that raw cotton shall be a Government monopoly,
and that the price, sale, distribution and export shall be controlled by the
Price Stabilisation Section of the Ministry of Finance.
9. By his Regulation No. 10 the Director-General of Finance has decreed
that the Price Stabilisation Section shall prepare every six months, or at such
other time as it may consider necessary, a list of Persia’s requirements of
imported goods, classified in the following categories :—
(i) Civilian (non-military) requirements.
(ii) Requirements of Government administrations.
(iii) Industrial requirements.
10. There are now over 10,000 tons of grain in reserve in Tehran. Russian
deliveries against their promised 25,000 tons now amount to over 9,000 tons. The
press announces that up to the 20th June undertakings or contracts to deliver
wheat had been obtained from landlords as follows :—
Tons.
In Isfahan province ... ... ... ... 59,000
In Pars province ... ... ... ... 39,000
In Khuzestan province ... ... ... 16,000
These figures are considerably in excess of last year’s undertakings.
A appointments — Civil.
II- (i) Muhsin Rais (F.O. 172; M.A. 239), to be Persian Minister in
Bagdad. He had previously been appointed to be Consul-General
in Delhi but had not left Tehran.
(ii) Dr. Ghulam Ali R’adi Azarkashi, to be Director-General of the
Ministry of Education.
(iii) Hishmat Sanii,^ to be Governor of Ahwaz and Deputy Governor-
General of Khuzestan.
(iv) Kazim Sayyah, to be Director-General of the newly-created Depart
ment of Distribution in the Ministry of Finance.
(v) Muhammad Hejazi, to be Director of the Department of Press and
Propaganda.
Persian Forces.
Police.
12 . The pay of the Police has been increased. A 3rd-grade constable now
draws 600 rials per month. Even at this rate recruits will be difficult to obtain.
Internal Security.
Kurdistan.
13. The Persian General Staff has reports from the commander of the
Persian troops in Senneh of the return to Persia from Iraq of Mahmud Dizli.
This chief had been a continual source of trouble for some twelve years or so
until, driven out of Persia in 1931 by Persian forces, he surrendered to the Iraqi
authorities and has since been detained in Iraq. The reports say that on arrival
in his village of Dizli he summoned the chiefs of Merivan and Avroman and
others, and later sent a letter, signed by himself and other chiefs to the Persian
commander calling upon him to withdraw all Persian forces from Kurdistan and
threatening to raise the Kurdish tribes to drive them out if the demand were not
promptly complied with. It is doubtful whether this threat is more than bluff
and whether Mahmud Dizh will get much support as the Kurds of this area have
been left in relative peace by the Persian authorities for some time past