Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎187v] (374/749)

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peasants at controlled prices or, if it should fail to do so, to make a sm ab e
increase in the price to be paid to the peasant for his grain. I he landowner is
made responsible for delivery to Government of the whole of the surplus pi o no
tion of his property, whether it be his share or the peasants .
Persian Forces.
A rmy.
6. It has been decided to abolish the Directorates of Cavalry and Inf anti
in the Ministry for War. These directorates, which were entirely independent
of the General Staff, in theory performed the duties of Inspectorates, but m
practice served no useful purpose except to provide appointments without wm v
or responsibility for a number of officers. These officers are now being transferred
to the General Staff. The Directorates of Artillery and Engineers remain, but
are deprived of their functions of inspection.
7. For purposes of conscription Persia is divided into eleven zones, eign o
which correspond to the areas of the eight provincial Divisions and three are
located in the area of the two Tehran Divisions. Hitherto the Conscription Offices
in each zone have been under the direct control of the Director of Conscription
in the Ministry for War and have been independent of the Commanders of the
Divisions in whose area they are located. It has now been decided that they will
be placed under their control with the exception of the offices m the three zones
in the area of the Tehran Divisions. These will be under the control of the
Central Recruit Training Depot in Tehran. The purpose of this change is to
check the abuses and corruption that have long been prevalent m the Conscription
Department. It is doubtful whether this object will be achieved.
Gendarmerie.
8. Three more American officers have joined the staff of Colonel
Schwarzkopf, making a total of six. No more are expected.
Appointments — Military.
9. Sartip Karim Ghovanlu to be Military Governor of Tehran, vice Sartip
Sheri, resigned.
Internal Security.
10. Only from Khuzestan are there reports of insecurity. For some time
past the Arabs have been becoming increasingly lawless and the area of the
Shushtar Mianab, in particular, has been suffering from the depredations of
brigands. The local Persian authorities have for long wished to carry out
operations for the disarmament of the Arabs, but doubts of the ability of t e
Persian forces to carry these through without provoking a disturbance that would
adversely affect Allied war interests in Khuzestan have induced the British
authorities to discourage such suggestions. Famine conditions resulting from the
failure of the crops are likely to be an added incentive to lawlessness, and it ma>
become necessary to agree to a limited operation for the establishment of Persian
Government authority.
Russian Affairs.
11. It is reliably reported that since the middle of April numerous Soviet
military survey parties have been operating in Khorassan. Nine parties have
recentlv been seen in the vicinity of the Tehran-Meshed road and other parties
have been seen in the vicinity of Jajarm, Bujnurd, Kashmar, Turbat-i-Haidan,
Turbat-i-Jam and Khaf. . , / a
12. The strength of the Soviet garrison at Sabzawar (see Summary
No. 15/44, paragraph 14) has been increased to 1,000; a platoon of infantry has
been stationed at Nishapur, and a small garrison at Turbat-i-Haidarn Several
new road maintenance camps have been established between Shahrud and
Baigiran on the Russian frontier. Increases in the garrisons of Meshed and
Quclan are also reported and an influx of Russian women and children to Meshed.
The Soviet Consul-General in Khorassan, when questioned about these activities,
attributed them to the development of the Shahrud-Bajgiran supply route
13. One of the papers of the Tudeh party has published an article refuting
charges made against the party of being Communist in sentiment and an
instrument of Russian policy. The party, it claims, is a supporter of constitu
tional democratic government:' it has no desire to seize power; its mission is to
organise and educate the masses so that they wif form a force ready and able to