Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎233v] (466/749)

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The Minister of Agriculture has not yet been appointed, Tsuri Isfandiari
(Muvaffaq-us-Saltanah) having been offered and having refused the post. . - x'
Note.—(A) signifies member of previous Cabinet.
(B) signifies member of previous Cabinet in same post.
(C) signifies member of former Cabinet.
(D) signifies member of former Cabinet in same post.
Thus, the only two newcomers to Cabinet rank are Mohsin Rais and Nadir
Arasteh. The former is now Persian Ambassador at Bagdad, and the latter has
had a long diplomatic career with, in addition, two posts as provincial governor.
In general they may be said to be “a decent set ” and more competent than many
if given a lead. It was rumoured that the Russians had said they would not accept
as a Cabinet Minister any member of Sa’ed’s Cabinet. It is difficult to see on
what grounds they can object to the only two of that category, viz., Fahimi and
Sururi. The former was a Minister without portfolio and had, moreover, been
absent on a special mission in Kurdistan during most of the period of the crisis
over the oil concession. Sururi is a promoted Under-Secretary, who has had a
purely departmental career and has never dabbled in politics.
3. The Freedom Front (Russian-sponsored) press continue their attacks
on Sa’ed. They use three main arguments. To the politically-minded they say
that Sa’ed’s policy was one-sided and that, by wilfully estranging the Russians,
he has upset the political balance. To the working classes they say that the refusal
by Sa’ed to grant a concession has deprived thousands of workers and thousands
about to become unemployed on cessation of their work for the Allies’ war effort
of the chance of lucrative employment on oil development. To the young
intelligentsia they say (though not openly) that the British want this concession
for themselves and, if they get it, will employ but few educated Persians, whereas
under Russian development, the majority of the educated and more highly paid
employees would have been Persians.
4. In the provinces the Russians are as active in their efforts as in the
capital. From Azarbaijan it is reported that they convene meetings of various
guilds, assemble doctors and approach Kurds and endeavour to get them to send
telegrams of protest to Tehran against the non-granting of the concession. They
even took the occasion of a meeting of the Perso-Soviet Cultural Society in Tehran
to make speeches on this subject till the aged ex-president of the Majlis, Haji
Muhtasham-us-Saltaneh, got up and said that such utterances were out of place in
a cultural meeting.
5. A press statement gives the numbers of the Majlis parties as follows :—
Independents (Mufrid) ... ... ... ... ... 58
National Union (Milli) ... ... ... 30
Fatherland (Watan) ... ... ... ... ... 25
Popular (Tudeh) ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
The Court.
6. The Queen-Mother has left for Egypt to see her fourth child, Prince
Ali Reza, who has recently arrived in Cairo from Johannesburg after the death
of his father, Reza Shah. "Malikeh Turan, Reza Shah’s second, and subsequently
divorced, consort, left for Cairo some weeks previously to see her only child,
Prince Ghulum Reza. It is believed that Ismet-ul-Muluk, Reza Shah’s third
consort, will also leave for Cairo in the near future to see her eldest son, Prince
Abdur Reza.
7. Workers’ Insurance Regulations have been passed by the Cabinet on the
8th November, 1944. In brief, the regulations apply to the towns of Tehran,
Tabriz, Isfahan and Meshed, and provide for—
(i) Classification of workers by irades.
(ii) Medical examination of workers to decide their physical fitness for their
present employment.'
(iii) Protection from dangerous machinery, washing facilities, extra milk,
suitable clothes, meals, lavatories.
(iv) Penalties for infringement by factory An East India Company trading post. owners.
(v) Insurance premia vary according to the nature of the trade from 1^ per
cent, of the daily wage to 3 per cent., one-third of the premium to be
paid by the employer.
(vi) Insurance benefits graded according to the degree of disability from
death down to minor injuries necessitating temporary stoppage of
work: