Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎217v] (434/749)

4. 641 cadets, who have finished their course at the Military School and have
qualified for commissions in the army, navy and air force, were inspected by the
Shah on the 24th September.
A 'ppointments—M ilitary.
5. —(i) Sarlashkar Ismail Shafai (F.O. 190; M.A. 261) to be Persian Military^j|^
Attache in Moscow.
(ii) Sarhang Ahmed Vosuq to the second-in-command of the Officers’ Cadet
School.
Internal Security.
Kurdistan.
6 . Hama Rashid followed up his occupation of Merivan (see Summary
No. 35/44, paragraph 10 ) by an insolent telegram to the Persian Government
which induced them rather reluctantly to agree to operations by Persian troops
for the eviction from Merivan of Hama Rashid’s followers and the Governor he
had set up there. This operation was successfully carried out with little
opposition, although the Persian General Staff claim to have captured some twenty
of Hama Rashid’s men and to have inflicted casualties. Operations against
Hama Rashid are to be continued by the advance of a column from Saqqiz to
Baneh. More serious opposition is expected here. The object of the operation
! is to put an end to Hama Rashid’s rule at Baneh and to substitute for it an
administration under a Persian official, supported by a force of gendarmerie of
Kurds officered by officers of the regular gendarmerie. Since Hama Rashid, if
driven out of Baneh, can take refuge in Iraq, the Persian Government has
requested the Iraqi Government to arrest him if he crosses the frontier. The
Minister without Portfolio of the Persian Government is to visit the area to
assure the Kurds of the good intentions of the Government, but, since the Govern
ment has no definite benefits to promise, and since, even if they had, the Kurds
have little faith in Persian promises, his visit is likely to be of limited value.
7. There is some credible evidence that Hama Rashid is acting in agreement
with Qazi Muhammad of Mahabad, who is popularly supposed to be the centre
of the Kurdish independence movement in Persia. It is definitely known that
there is in Mahabad much talk of Kurdish independence and an absence of any
sign of recognition by the Kurds of Persian authority. As reported in Summary
No. 35/44. paragraph 9, the Russians are suspected of encouraging this movement.
: There are reports that Russian officers visited Hama Rashid in the latter half
j of August; and Soviet officials in Kermanshah and Tehran have immediately
I shown a lively interest in, and some disapproval of, the operations now in progress.
Khuzestan.
8 . The Bani Turuf are shortly to be invited to surrender their arms on the
assurance that one-third of the number they now possess will be returned to
reliable chiefs on licence. The invitation is to be backed up by a show of force.
The local civil and military Persian authorities are confident that there will be
no general disturbance.
Russian Affairs.
9. The Assistant Commissar for Foreign Affairs, M. Kavtaradzeh (see
Summary No. 36/44, paragraph 7), has made it known to the Persian Government
that he is here for the purpose of negotiating a concession for the exploitation
of oil in the Semnan area. The prospect of having a Soviet Government concern
established in Persia has filled the Persian Government with great alarm.
10. In addition to a hospital, the opening of which was reported in
Summary No. 35/44, paragraph 14, the Russians have now opened a school in
Tabriz. While it is said to be principally for children of Russian subjects, it has
been announced that Persian children will also be accepted, without fees. The
curriculum has been designed for a course of study of ten years; the principal
language will be Turki, with Russian, Persian and English as subsidiary
languages; the teachers will be Soviet Azerbaijanis. For neither the hospital
nor the school was the permission of the Persian Government asked, and insult has
been added to injury by establishing Turki as the principal language. In Meshed
the Russians have opened classes for the teaching of Russian to Persians. These
classes are being attended by some 300 Persians.
11. A very active Russian intriguer, Marchenko, who was vice-consul at
Tabriz, has recently arrived in Isfahan as vice-consul. While in Tabriz he was
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