Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎200v] (400/749)

4. The paper Daria, to which reference has been made in Summary
No. 26/44, paragraph 3, and which is strongly suspected of being subsidised by
the Russians, accuses Dr. Millspaugh of being an agent of the American Govern
ment, a kind of American High Commissioner ruling and exploiting Persia in the
interests of the United States. The intervention of the American Government,
it says, had frightened the Deputies from their original intention. What would
happen if Persia’s two neighbours were to follow America’s example and, taking
advantage of the weakness of the Majlis, treat Persia as if she were their colony?
5. Under the auspices of the Tudeh party there has been formed a
“ Central Council of Iranian Workers’ and Toilers’ Unions,” to which it is
hoped to affiliate all existing Labour unions. Its official organ is the newspaper
Zafar, printed at the Tudeh press. It urges the necessity for all workers to
enter the field of politics and to unite, for only in unity will they find the strength
to fight the reactionaries.
A appointments — Civil.
6 —(i) Ghulam Hussein Miftah, to be Farmandar of Easban.
(ii) Ismail Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. , to be Farmandar of Khu’i.
Persian Forces.
Appointments — Military.
7. —(i) Sarlashkar Ali Riazi (F.O. : 190), to be Chief of the Shah’s Military
Secretariat.
(ii) Sarlashkar Ahmad Nakchevan (F.O. : 159; M.A. : 193), to command the
Persian Air Force.
(iii) Sartip Ahmad Khusrovani (F.O. : 118), to command the 3rd
(Azerbaijan) Division.
(iv) Sarhang Sayyid Hussein Hashimi, to command the 9 th (Ardebil)
Brigade.
Internal Security.
Bakhtiari.
8 . Mortesa Quli Khan, Governor of Bakhtiari, has now reached Tehran
to answer to the Government for the many complaints that have been made
against him, and to endeavour to come to terms with all the other Khans who
have been agitating against him because they have not been allowed to extract
from Bakhtiari the share of the pickings which they had hoped for on the
appointment of one of themselves as Governor of the tribe. A number of petty
khans with complaints against Morteza Quli have also reached Tehran. That-
some of these complaints are justified there is little doubt, but it will be regrettable
if Morteza Quli Khan is removed from the Governorship as, whatever just
causes of complaint there may be against him, he probably maintains better order
than anyone else is likely to do.
9. Troops have moved out from Isfahan for the disarmament of certain
small outlying sections of the Chahar Lang Bakhtiari—see Summary No. 23 /44
paragraph 11 . From such reports as have been received of the operations hitherto
it seems that the commander of the troops—General Qadar—is now waitino- to
see what offers are made by the tribes concerned to buy him off.
Pars.
10 . Reports from Fars say that Nazir Qashgai is becoming doubtful of his
chances of maintaining the position, which he likes to think he holds, of para
mount influence in Fars. Haying failed to get elected for Shiras, he hesitates
now to stand for election for either of the vacant seats of Firuzabad or Abadeh
being fearful lest the great tribal leader should come to be regarded as a mere
deputy. He is suspicious, too, of his two brothers, Muhammad Hussein and
Khusrow, who, spending much of their time in Tehran, have made manv contacts
and are already on apparently good terms with Qawam ul Mulk and the
Governor-General elect, General Firuz. However much contempt the tribesmen
may express for Tehran and the Government, there is still a tendency to attach
some importance to what Tehran is saying, and Nazir does not know while his
brothers do. He recently attempted to intervene in the dispute between Morteza
Quli Khan and the other Bakhtiari Khans, to meet with a rebuff He has also
been trying to rent the lands of the Dushmanziari tribe with a view to increasing
the sphere of his influence. This has aroused protests from the Dushmanzian
chiefs who have no desire to have a Qashgai overlord.