Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎171r] (341/749)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OFTHS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
v '' PERSIA.
SECRET.
Undtr Sa«wir*wf»y ititi
fop Forrvfgn Affair*
With th* C3>#r
of tlrr 1944
1 -- - ^
Section 1.
[E 1862/422/34]
Copy No.
/2. Bullard to Mr. Eden.—{Received ‘IMh March.)
(No. 116.)
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 10 for the period the 6th to the
12th March, 1944, compiled by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, \Mh March, 1944.
Enclosure.
(Secret.)
Military Attache's Intelligence Summary No. 10 for the period the 6th March to
Ylth March, 1944.
Persian Affairs.
Political.
1. The expected attack in the Majlis on the credentials of Seyyid Zia ed Din
was made not by the Tudeh party Deputies, but by Dr. Musaddiq (Musaddiq es
Sultaneh—F.O. 135; M.A. 184). ‘ It was based not on the legality of his recent
election for Yezd, but on his unfitness to be a Deputy owing to his haying acted
against the legally constituted Government of Persia by his participation in the
coup d'Etat of 1921, which brought Reza Khan to power. Dr. Musaddiq at that
time was Governor-General of Ears, and refused to recognise the Government
formed by Seyyid Zia. In the course of his speech and Seyyid Zia s reply much
old history was retold, not always accurately. The old story, which finds, and
perhaps always will find, many believers, that the coup d'Etat was engineered by
the British, was brought out to show that Seyyid Zia must then have been a British
tool and to support the suggestion that he had been brought back to Persia in the
interests of British policy. In his reply Seyyid Zia made a good impression on
the Deputies, and the result of the debate is to improve his standing in political
circles. He was supported by fifty-seven Deputies of eighty-six present.
Dr. Musaddiq maintained his old reputation as an emotional demagogue, 'possibly
well-intentioned but certainly misguided. .
2. Attempts were made during the two days’ debate on Seyyid Zia s
credentials to organise demonstrations against him by crowds assembleo outside
the Parliament buildings. The Tudeh party is accused of having been the
organisers. Seyyid Zia’s supporters are also accused of having taken counter
measures.
3 Certain recent events have tended to disturb public opinion and to shake
public confidence in Great Britain’s ability to guarantee the fulfilment of the
Tehran Declaration regarding Persia’s post-war status. They are, firstly, the
announcement of the departure of the British Military Mission from Turkey and
the knowledge that Turkev had refused to commit herself to the side of the Allies;
secondly, Mr. Churchill’s'statement that the end of the European War might not
come this year; and, thirdly, the British attitude to Poland and Yugoslavia, which
is interpreted as an indignation of British subservience to Russian wishes.
Economic.
4 Reports from the provinces of Isfahan and Ears indicate anxiety about
^ the comma- harvest owing to shortage of snow and rain. In areas of South-East
Ears the crops are already considered to have failed and famine conditions to be
imminent. See also Summary No. 9/44, paragraph 6.
A ppointments—C ivil.
, £ 5. 4 fkham Saadlu to be Farmandar of Khorramabad.
to