Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎254v] (508/749)

that, while no legal grounds existed for then “^[T^gatYons as
moral iustiflcation for internment in view of Persia s obligations as
an Ally He further said that efforts had been made and would continue
to be made to procure the release of those whose guilt was not
adjudged to be serious.
The Press.
3. The chief topics of discussion have been
(i) The forthcoming conference of the three Allied leaders and the belief
that the problem of Persia would be one of the mam items on he
(ii) Further attacks by the Russian-inspired press on the tribal bloc m the
south and the rearming of the tribes by imperialists and
reactionaries
(iii) The third anniversary of the signing of the Tripartite Treaty. Most
of the articles stress the fact that as Persia had undertaken and
fulfilled certain obligations so she should obtain corresponding benefits.
Though she had sent no soldiers to the front her people had woiked
on Allied communications and had made Persia the bridge to
victory ”; .
(iv) The usual attacks on Sa’ed’s “one-sided policy, on Seyyid Zia and,
more recently, on Bayat, the Prime Minister, for his failure to achieve
anything; .
(v) Gratification at the impending withdrawal of American troops and the
hope that Russian and British troops would soon follow suit.
4. The tone of the Persian press has become so bad lately and abuse of the
| Allies so frequent that a joint approach to the Minister for Foreign Affairs was
1 made by the British and Russian Ambassadors. The Minister for Foreign Affairs
attempted to defend the press by saying that their abuse was only provoked by
acts of unwarranted interference by the Allies in the internal affairs of Persia
and so served a useful turn by drawing public attention to these acts. It was
pointed out to him that the press, at the level at which it worked in Persia,
was not the best judge of what constituted unwarranted interference.
Finance.
5. An extract from a report dated the 30th January, 1945, by the
Financial Counsellor of His Majesty’s Embassy is published as an appendix to
this summary.
6. His Majesty’s Government have stopped the sale of gold to Persia with
effect from the 15th January, 1945. The market had reached saturation point
and most of the gold recently sold had been smuggled out of Persia into Iraq.
As the supply of goods and rial notes in Iraq had also diminished, Iraqi dinar
notes in payment of this smuggled gold were being brought into Persia, thus
increasing Persia’s sterling balances and, hence, His Majesty’s Government’s
obligations to convert 60 per cent, of these holdings into gold.
A ppointments.
7.—(i) Said Samii to be Governor-General of the 4th Ustan (Western
Azarbaijan) vice Colonel Darakhshani who becomes General Officer Commanding
Azarbaijan Division;
(ii) Muhammad Hussain Muhtashami to be Governor of Tabriz;
(iii) Jamshid Qarib to be First Secretary to the Persian Embassy at Angora;
(iv) Mahmud Mir Fakhrai to be Secretary to the Persian Legation in Brazil
vice Khushnawis recalled.
Persian Army.
8. The High Military Council, whose meetings General Razmara contrived
to suspend, is now functioning again. Its members comprise the Minister for
War, the Deputy Minister for War (General Muqtadir), the Chief of the
General Staff, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff (General Ansari), General
Yazdan Panah, the Secretary of the Shah’s Military Cabinet (General Riazi),
and the General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division (General Muzayyini).