Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎284r] (567/749)

Ext 33lkL$ SECR
^ THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S i
PERSIA. June 20, 1945.
SECRET. Section 1.
[E 4314/70/34] Copy No. J 3 3
Military Attache s Intelligence Summary No. 22 for the 'period ^th June to
\0th June, 1945. —{Communicated in Tehran Despatch No. 193 of
11th June. Received 20^A June.)
Persian Affairs.
Political.
1. A majority of the Deputies has chosen Seyyid Muhsin Sadr (Sadr-ul-
Ashraf) (F.O. 194^M.A. 249) for appointment as Prime Minister, and he has
been charged by the Shah with the formation of a Government. He is already
in difficulties with the Deputies over the selection of his Ministers. In the
session of the Majlis held to elect a Prime Minister he was supported by 60 of
the 67 members present, but his supporters are already at loggerheads with each
other regarding the choice of Ministers for the Ministries of the Interior and of
War, the Ministries that have most influence on the elections. Consequently he
has not yet been able to present the Cabinet to Parliament. It is understood that
he has decided to retain Anushirwan Sepahbudi as Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Nadir Arasteh as Minister of Roads and Communications, and to include
Mahmud Bader (F.O. 40-M.A. 51), Abdul Hussein Hajhir (F.O. 79-M.A. 104),
Dr. Said Malek (Lughman-ul-Mulk).
The Tudeh party has already declared itself to be in opposition, and
another thirty Deputies are unlikely to support the Government whatever its
composition. While the Deputies are concerned almost entirely wdth attempting
to secure their re-election tne business of administration is falling into serious
arrears. The budget for the current year has not yet been discussed; the control
of economic affairs is in abeyance and there are many important questions for
decision, notably the arrangements to be made for the financing of the railway
when it passes to the control of the Persian administration, and British contri
butions to make up the difference between revenue and expenditure cease on the
1st July.
2 . The desire for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Persia
continues to be widely expressed. Even the Tudeh press supports what it must
realise to be the genuine wish of all politically-minded classes. But it stresses
the necessity for a complete withdrawal. It is perhaps affected by the arguments
put forward in some quarters that even if the British have some justification
for staying the Russians have none. The Russians probably feel safe in
advocating complete withdrawal, having good cause to expect that the British
intend to remain in Khuzistan at least.
3. All internees have now been released with the exception of fourteen. For
this the Minister for Foreign Affairs has gained some much-needed credit.
Economic.
4. Discussions to settle the details of the transfer of the railway south
of Tehran to the Persian administration and the amount of rolling stock to be
handed over by the British and Americans have been held and the decisions
reached await confirmation by the Governments concerned. The Persian
administration begins to take over on the 18th June. The Americans have agreed
to allow a‘number of their technical staff to remain to help the Persians in the
transition period. The present financial arrangement w’hereby the British
Government makes good the difference between revenue and expenditure ceases
to be effective on the 30th June. Some economy can be effected by a reduction of
staff, now considerably in excess of the requirements of normal Persian traffic, but
even then a considerable increase in freight rates will be necessary if revenue is to
balance costs. And the discharge of a large number of employees will sw^ell the
ranks of the unemployed and the Tudeh party.
British Interests.
5. The employees of the Kermanshah Petroleum Company have returned
to work with the exception of some 350 wffio, having been absent for a w 7 eek, were
[67—64]