Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎122v] (244/749)

4. A Bill has been laid before Parliament for the engagement of American
assistants for Dr. Millspaugh to a total of sixty, including those already engaged
and those whose engagement has already been approved. There is considerable,
opposition to the Bill.
5. It is reported that, with a view to economy, the post of Governor-Deneral
is to be abolished in all provinces except Pars, Khorasan, Kerman and Azerbaijan.
6 . Hooliganism and wounding by stabbing have become so common in
Tehran that the Majlis passed a law with double urgency authorising the police fflfr
to arrest or expel from Tehran persons guilty of, or from their past record known
to be likely to commit, such offences. For almost the first time for two years
adequate punishment has been given to a criminal. A man was publicly huhg m
Tehran for robbery and murder.
Economic.
7. By his regulation No. 15 the Director-General of Finance has made it
illegal for anyone except the Cereals and Bread Section of the Ministry of
Finance to move grain to or from Tehran by any means. Any gram found being
transported by other than that agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. will be confiscated, and a reward of 50 per
cent, of the value of the grain at the Government price will be paid to the person
responsible for its confiscation. '
8 . Discontent with the quality of the bread on sale at the Government price
has provoked riots at Kermanshah, Hamadan and Malayer.
9 . In a statement published in the press Dr. Millspaugh says that, as a
result of investigations he has made personally, he can categorically deny the
reports that wheat has been bought by the British.
A ppointments — Civil.
10 . —(i) Muhsin Sadr (F.O. 180, M.A. 249) to be Minister of Justice.
(ii) Qasim Meikadeh to be Governor of Shahriza.
(iii) Taqi Khajeh Nuri (Amir Nusrat) to be Deputy Governor-General
of pars.
(iv) Kabiri (Adi ed Dowleh) to be Governor pf Maraqheh.
(v) Hussein Muhiman to be under-secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
Persian Forces.
H A commission consisting of the Prime Minister, the Minister for War,
the Chief of the General Staff, General Yazdan Panah and three Deputies
recently met to consider what powers the Shah could legitimately exercise under
the Constitution over the army. The finding was that his powers were limited
to the right of approval in certain cases only of proposals made by the Minister
for War and that the latter was fully responsible for the army. I he Shah
authorised the Prime Minister to announce in a secret session of Parliament that
the General Staff would in future be subordinate to the Minister for War. As
a sequel the Ministrv for War drafted a regulation for the Shah s approval
defining the duties of the General Staff and departments of the Ministry for War
and detailing how the responsibility of the General Staff to the Minister for
War was to work in practice. The Shah refused to sign it or to allow the
Minister for War to have full authority over the General Staff in practice. But
the Minister for War was ordered to tell press and Parliament that he was fqliy
responsible for the army. It is evident that the Shah intends to continue dealing
direct with the General Staff and to issue orders without reference to the
Minister for War.
A ppointrnents — Military.
12—(i) Sipahbud Shahbakhti to be an Army Inspector. , A r-
(ii) Sartip Diba to be Director of the Supply Department in the Ministry
cLI* • • •
(iii) 'Sartip Mahmud Iravani to command the 12th Lurestan Division.
(iv) Colonel Hashemi to be Provost Marshal, Tehran.
Internal Security.
Fars.
13 \11 the country west of the Shiraz—Shahriza road is now at the mercy
of the Oashgai and Boir Ahmadi. A mixed force of these two tribes on the
5th April surrounded and attacked a small Persian garrison of little more than