Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎120v] (240/749)

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Economic.
4. The Director-General of Finance has issued a regulation—No. 14—which
declares that wheat and barley are a Government monopoly. The sale or
movement of these grains, unless under the control of the Cereals and Bread
Section of the Ministry of Finance, is absolutely forbidden. Grain hoarded or
sold on the free market will be confiscated without compensation. The regulation
also announces that on the 23rd November the price to be paid by the Government
for grain will be reduced by 33J per cent., and that all hoards of grain found*
after that date will be confiscated. It will require a better intentioned Govern
ment and a more honest administration than exists at present to ensure the
effective execution of this regulation.
5. As yet very little of the new harvest has been delivered to Government
stores. In certain areas this is due to prevailing insecurity, in others to lack of
transport, and in others to the reluctance of landlords to deliver. Tehran now
holds about one month’s reserve. The Russians have delivered some 16,000 tons
of the 25,000 tons of wheat promised. On the other hand they have taken from
iAzarbaijan 14.000 tons and are asking for more.
6 . In the Budget Bill laid before the Majlis revenue is estimated at
1.890,795,096 rials and expenditure at 3,297,718,537 rials. As cuts have been
made in the budgets submitted by Ministries the latter have now to prepare new
detailed budgets.
7. The Persian Road Transport Board now controls 700 new Lease/Lend
trucks and 900-1.000 locally contracted vehicles.
A pf ointments — Civil.
8 . —(i) Ibrahim Qavam (Qavam ul Mulk) (F.O. 169, M.A. 231) to be
Governor-General of Fars.
1 (ii) Ali Motamedi (F.O. 137, M.A. 175) to be Consul-General in India.
(iii) Muhammad Montazim to be Governor of Kasvin.
Persian Forces.
9. Both General Ridley and Colonel Schwarzkopf report that since the new
appointments mentioned in paragraph 6 of Summary No. 30 they have been
receiving better co-operation from the Persian authorities. There is some
indication, too, of an intention to remedy the present condition of indiscipline.
As a result of the findings of the Court of Enquiry sent to Isfahan to investigate
the Semirum disaster a Field General Court-Martial is to assemble to try a
number of the officers concerned.
Police.
10. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of General Radsar, a former
Chief of Police, on the charge of being concerned in the murder of a prominent
Parsi, Arbab Kaikhosru, in the time of Reza Shah. It is reported that he has
escaped to Iraq.
A ppointments — Military.
1 .—(i) Sarlashkar Amamullah Jahanbani (F.O. 100, M.A. 132) to be Com
mander of the Forces in the south vice Sipahbod Shahbakhti.
(ii) Sartip Qadar to command the Isfahan Division vice Sartip Nakchevan.
Internal Security.
12 . In the address referred to in paragraph 2 the Shah referred to the
prevailing insecurity. He impressed on representatives of the press present their
duty to support the Government and in no circumstances to take the part of those
in rebellion against the Government, who should and would be punished.
Fars.
]3 The situation deteriorates rapidly in the absence of any effective mili
tary or civil authority. The Boir Ahmadi have now attacked the Basht Bavi tribe, #
a settled tribe closely allied to the Mamassanni, and the latter expect that they will
next be attacked in revenge for having refused to join the Qashgais and Boir
Ahmadis. The Qashgais are contenting themselves with pillaging villages, and
they have not interfered with traffic on the road. They acquired 12 more rifles bv
disarming a small Gendarmerie post 45 miles north-west of Shiraz. Other