Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎259v] (518/749)

A merican Financial Mission.
3. Following on the resignation of Dr. Millspaugh, his functions have been
temporarily distributed as follows :—
Air. Pixley—Accounts nnd Audit, Treasury-General, Exchange Commission,
Internal Revenue, hinancial Tribunal, Personnel, Banks and Customs.
^ r ’ fv ~T?^ )1U ^ n anC ^ Tobacco Monopoly, Debts, Ceded Properties and
± ublic Domains, Inspection, Industrial Supervision and Supply.
Dr. Millspaugh s economic powers are to be placed in the charge of a
committee whose names are to be selected from among Hikmat Dr Amini
Dr. Sajjadi, Salih, Muqbil.
A yf ointments — Civil.
4. —(i) Ah Asghar Itisam to be Farmandar (Governor) of Khoi.
(ii) Isa Ihtishami to be Farmandar (Governor) of Ardebil.
Internal Security.
Khorassan.
5. On the 11th February six bandits held up twenty-one lorries (including
a Persian mail lorry) 12 miles from Meshed on the Turbat-i-Haidari road and
decamped with 20,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . This is said to be the first act of highway robbery
on this road since December 1943. » j .7
6 Smuggling into Afghanistan on a large scale of A.I.O.C. and Russian
petrol and kerosene has been brought to light by the A.I.O.C. manager in Meshed.
High Russian and 1 ei sian officials are said to have connived at this. The Russians
have doubtless used these products to produce rials or to barter them for livestock.
Qashgai.
7. The Darashuri have been raiding recently near Gach Saran but
following representations by the A.I.O.C., have removed themselves from the area
and promised compensation for losses inflicted.
Kuh-i-Galu.
8. The situation is still disturbed, where Muhammad Khan Ariani of the
Boir Ahmad Sarhaddi is at loggerheads with his nephew Zargham Ariani. The
Bavi tribe has joined in the fray by coming to the assistance of the latter.
Bakhtiari.
9 Reference paragraph 12 of the last Intelligence Summary, Morteza Quh
Khan has refused to come to Tehran and gives as his reason that both he and
General Humayuni think it too late in the season to start operations to disarm
the Bahmai and Taiyebi. Morteza Quli Khan has stipulated for a daily payment
20 and 30 rials respectively for every foot soldier and horse soldier which he
provides. Their rations and arms are to be supplied by the Persian Government
He undertakes to provide 400 infantry and 200 cavalry. General Humayuni is
of the opinion that his own forces are inadequate and is, moreover, nervous about
hostile repercussions among the Kuhgalu in his rear. It is doubtful whether the
known enthusiasm for these operations on the part of the Shah and the Chief
of the General Staff will succeed in overcoming the objections now raised bv
Morteza Quli Khan and General Humayuni.
British Interests,
10 Three members of a British parliamentary delegation which has toured
Soviet Russia recently passed through Tehran on "their way home. They were
Commander King-Hall, Mr. Jewson and Mr. Manningham Buller. While in
* me f. a number of newspaper editors and a representative selection
of Majlis Deputies. The remainder of the British delegation, delayed by an
extension of their tour in Soviet Central Asia, are expected to arrive in Tehran
next week.
Chinese Interests.
11. The Persian and Chinese Governments have raised their respective
legations to the status of embassies.