Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎243r] (485/749)

recreate the period of Reza Khan, which suffocated all democratic inclinations
and friendly feelings towards Russia? Dr. Musaddiq, in his speech on oil, had
shown that the royalties received from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company were spent
on the railway and the purchase of arms, neither of which were in the interests
of Persia, but were to be used against the Russian Government one day. As
it happened, world events were such that they were used for the benefit of Russia.
(But who could guarantee that this would be the case in the future and they would
not be used against Russia by a reactionary Government ? The Russian Govern
ment had not undertaken all these sacrifices for a reactionary barrier to be put
up against her as had been in the last twenty odd years, and for a Government
like the hired Government of Poland or the dictatorship of Reza Khan to be put
up. It was neither in the interests of Russia or of Persia that Russia’s interests
should be neglected. The Russian Government could not tolerate a Government
which had been born of the Government of Reza Khan or a similar Government.
The Persian people also, from the point of view of both internal and foreign
policy, were not prepared to tolerate such a Government. If the paper was
criticised for talking-about Russian interests, it did so because Persian interests
could only be assured by taking into consideration the interests of other Govern
ments and peoples, and in particular the interests of powerful neighbouring
Governments. Thus there were reasons why the paper should talk about Russian
interests which, in the above-mentioned case, were in harmony with the interests
of the Persian people in the opposition which they showed to reactionary elements
in Persia and‘the Government of Reza Khan/ Apparently after the war the
armies of the three Powers would leave Persia, but the real situation was that,
if the condition of the Persian Government remained as it was at present, only
the influence of Russia would be removed from Persia, because everybody knew
that the Persian Government, the Persian Majlis, Persian politicians and the
Administration did not belong to the Persian people and were merely agents
who had no will of their own. Consequently it was natural that the Russian
Government was anxious at this “ set-up,” and the Persian people had the rig t
to strive with all their might to change the nature of the Government. I he
reactionary Government of Persia opposed with all its force the grant of an oil
concession to Russia and welcomed with joy the Bill of Dr. Musaddiq, whic ,
like the orders of Reza Khan, was ratified without discussion, lest any deviation
from his one-sided policy as a result of the grant of this concession should occur
The paper would repeat that the way taken by the Persian Government had not
solved the problem. The Majlis and Dr. Musaddiq had merely shown that they
could not solve such problems. Dr. Musaddiq and his followers had not removed
the problem; they had merelv removed its solution from the competence of the
Persian Government and handed this over to foreign circles. In conclusion, the
paper asks the Russian Government not to consider the conduct of the Persian
Government, which was based upon reactionary circles the expression of e
Persian people, and to be assured that the Persian peop e were disgusted at e
one-sided policy of the Governments which were imposed upon them, and would
never take any measures against nations which respected their independence and
freedom.