Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎282r] (563/749)

FILE COPY ^
thi4document is the property of his britannic majesty’s government
HiNi
PERSIA.
-r~
flth the Com
Sue.- -« j
SECRET. for Foreiaii
A
m.'EaX 1
ffai
[E 4117/76/34]
June 13, 1945.
Section 1.
Military Attache's Intelligence Summary No. 21, Secret, for the Period 28th May
to 3rd June, 1945 .—(Communicated in Tehran Despatch No. 185 of Mh June.
Received in Foreign Office, \3th June.) d l "fu U>o.
Persian Affairs. / Ha£(-
Political. - f
SPEECHES in the Majlis during the week have been concerned very little . *
with the programme or qualities of the Government but almost entirely with
propaganda for and against the Tudeh party. The speakers against the Govern
ment, and indeed some of those nominally for the Government, were the ludeh
members and their sympathisers, and they made good use of their opportunity
to attack the many prevailing abuses, the present ruling classes and their alleged
one-sided policy in foreign affairs. Some spirited rejoinders were made by their
opponents. The debate, however, did not materially affect the views t c
Deputies about the Government. The opposition of the Tudeh party and of
those who from consideration of their personal interests feel bound to vote in
accordance with the party dictates was certain. The fate of the Government
depended on whether a sufficient number of the other Deputies would agree that
a different Government would give them a better chance of re-election. That, it
seems, was their conclusion, for when the vote was taken on the 3rd June only a
small number supported the Government. It could not be contended that it was
a good Government, but it fell not on its demerits but because the majority of
the Deputies, who had themselves chosen Hakimi as Prime Minister, failed to
induce him to appoint Ministers to their liking to the Cabinet posts that can
exert great influence on the elections. Their obvious lack of concern for anything
but their personal interests has further discredited the Majlis and strengthened
the hands of those, notably the Shah and the Russians, who would like to see
it dissolved.
2. The Persian Government has addressed notes to the British, Russian
and American Embassies requesting the withdrawal of Allied troops from Persia,
since with the end of the war in Europe the reasons for which those troops
entered Persia no longer exist. The announcement that His Majesty’s Govern
ment were giving sympathetic consideration to this request has given- pleasure
and raised hopes. The question of withdrawal has figured large in the press
and Majlis debates. Claims are made that even if the treaty does allow British
troops to remain in Persia until six months after the end of the w T ar with Japan
Russian troops have no justification for remaining, since Russia is not at war
with Japan, and that Allied troops have no longer legal claim to the rights as
regards censorship and the use and control of aerodromes, means of communica
tion, &c., which they have enjoyed by virtue of article 3 of the Tripartite Treaty,
since that article refers only to the Allies’ undertaking to defend Persia against
aggression and Persia is in no fear of aggression from Japan.
3. The Soviet Ambassador recently informed His Majesty’s Ambassador
that the Soviet Government was opposed to the continued detention of the
internees and he asked for the views of His Majesty’s Government. But unable
to resist making political capital at the expense of His Majesty’s Government,
Soviet officials did not delay to let it be known that the internees were now being
detained solely to please the British. It had, in fact, already been decided that
a number might be released, and that only those previously associated with the
Japanese or known to be fundamentally hostile to the British need be detained.
Economic.
4. The financial year March 1944-March 1945 ended up with a deficit in
the Government’s finances of 462 million rials. Ordinary revenue was
3,924 million rials and commercial revenue 3.459 million rials. Ordinary
expenditure totalled 3,844 million rials and commercial expenditure
4,001 million rials. The deficit for the previous year (1943-44) was 1,052 million
TeCo. POL. [mi)
HJUL1945 j
I NDIA OFFICE !
[66—104]