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action taken by the Military Governor of Tehran to suppress Tudeh demonstra
tions; and he had for one reason or another antagonised many of the Deputies.
Consequently there was little opposition to his removal. He was the most able,
knowledgeable and energetic Chief of the Staff that has been seen during the last
three years, but he is unscrupulously ambitious, corrupt and an inveterate
intriguer. He has been succeeded by General Hassan Arfa, a strong Nationalist,
resentful of foreign interference in Persia, obsessed by fear of Russian designs
and consequently, for the present, not unfriendly to the British. He has neither
popularity nor much respect in the army.
A ir Force.
12. General Ahmad Nakchevan, now appointed Inspector-General of the
Persian Air Force, who recently returned from an official visit to England, has
now left to visit America on the invitation of the United States Government.
He travelled in the same aircraft as General Connolly.
A appointments — military.
13. —(i) Sarlashkar Hassan Arfa (F.0.30-M.A. 37) to be Chief of the
General Staff vice Sarlashkar Razmara, relieved;
(ii) Sartip Kazim Shaibani to be Military Governor of Tehran vice
Sarhang Hejazi, relieved;
(iii) Sarlashkar Abdul Reza Afkhami (F.O. 2—M.A. 2) to be a Military
Governor for the purpose of applying military law to offences
committed on Allied lines of communications vice Sarlashkar
Hassan Arfa;
(iv) Sartips Itimad Muqaddam, Qadar, and Amidi and Sarhang Atapur
to be army inspectors.
Internal Security.
14. For some time past the Tudeh press, which previously had been inclined
to champion the tribes as sufferers from the tyrannous British-supported regime
of Reza Shah, has been accusing them of being the supporters of reactionaries
and of feudalism. The reactionaries are accused not only of opposing proposals
for disarmament but also of supplying arms and ammunition to the tribes.
Reports have been published of consignments of arms landed on the Persian
shores of the gulf and distributed among the tribes. It is made clear that the
reactionaries referred to are the “masters ” of Seyyid Zia and his like. The
alleged union of the tribes of the south comes in for much attack. One of the
Russian subsidised Persian papers says that it is no surprise that Qavam ul Mulk
and Morteza Quli Khan Bakhtiari should fall in with the designs of those whose
servants they had long been but expresses amazement that Nazir Qashgai, who
like his father had always posed as a great patriot, should now have become
a Persian Quisling. Such attacks are likely to have some effect on Nasir and
they may discourage him from being too openly friendly with British officials.
Khuzestan.
15. It seems that the Persian authorities are satisfied with the number of
arms collected from the Beni Turuf. Attention has now been diverted to the
Bani Tamim who have begun to surrender their alms.
Russian Affairs.
Id- The following is believed to be an accurate list of Russian general
officers in Persia :—
At Kasvia—
Lieut.-General Soyietnikoff: Commanding all Russian forces in Persia.
Major-General Gaidukov : 2nd in command to above.
Major-General Russov : Chief of Staff.
At Tabriz—
Major-General Glinski : Commanding troops in Azarbaijan
Major-General Lobov : Chief of Staff.
[61—110]