Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎163r] (325/749)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA.
SECRET.
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for Porefgn Affairs
February 16, 1944.
Section 1.
Copy No.
Sir R. Bullard to Mr. Eden. — (Ree.eived 16th February.)
(No. 54.)
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Prinicipal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 5 for the period of 31st January,
to 6th February, 1944, compiled by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, 1th February, 1944.
122
Enclosure.
Military A ttache’s Intelligence Summary No. 5 for the Period
31s£ January to §th February, 1944.
(Secret.) Persian Affairs.
Political.
1. The date announced for the opening of the Majlis is the 26th February
and not the 22nd as stated in paragraph 1 of Summary No. 4/44. Meanwhile,
there is much preliminary intriguing going on among the Deputies and by the
Court.
2. The Tudeh press has published protests signed by supporters of Nasir
Qashgai against alleged Government interference in the elections of Fars. It
was reported in Summary No. 4. paragraph 9, that Nasir was endeavouring to
secure the election in Fars of candidates favourable to himself. The Govern
ment has its own list of candidates besides being opposed to Fars being
represented only in the Qashgai interest. The reason for the Tudeh, that is,
Russian, encouragement of Qashgai candidates is not clear. It is certainly not
I helpful to British interests in Fars.
3. Several police officials have been put on trial on charges of having been
concerned in the death of certain prominent Persians during the reign of Reza
Shah. They include Colonel Radsar, lately chief of police and Mukhtari, his
predecessor, who is already undergoing a sentence of imprisonment. Defending
counsel demanded that Reza Shah, who he alleged was the man really responsible
for these deaths, should be brought to trial.
4. The Central Committee of the Tudeh party has announced that every
member of the party is to pay 10 per cent, of his income for one month to the
party office as a contribution to the fund for the relief of distress in Russia.
Economic.
5. Dr. Millspaugh has published a regulation which calls attention to the
fact that the Government has been put to heavy loss through contracts and agree
ments concluded by various departments of Government. He therefore orders
that no convention or agreement involving Government revenues, financial
commitments or the cession or use of Government property shall be concluded
without the approval of himself as Administrator-General of Finance.
Two contracts where the Persian Government has lost heavily are those
for the sale to the Russians of rice and of arms and ammunition manufactured
in the Government factories.
6. It is stated in the press that in accordance with the terms of the Soviet-
Persia Commercial Agreement the Soviet has delivered in exchange for rice :—
1,485,000 metres of cloth.
55,000 metres of silk textiles.
Knitted goods to the value of 1,723,000 rials.
Crockery and earthenware to the value of 2,075,000 rials.
Bottles to the value of 850,000 rials.
Newsprint to the value of 1,757,000 rials.
Thread to the value of 612,000 riols.
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