Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎323v] (646/749)

the Allies a sum of 100 million tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. (about £7,700,000) on account of freight
charges. This is in excess of the £16,500,000 already paid by the Allies to keep
the railway going. The Persian State Railway is claiming the full freight rate
instead of the agreed rate of -30 rials per ton/kilom. so far paid by the Allies.
The Persians base their claim on the fact that, though discussions took place, no
railway agreement was ever signed.
A py ointments — Civil.
7. —{i) Dr. Ali Sajjadi to be Governor of Saveh.
(ii) Ali Asghar Musa war Rahmani, Governor of Saveh, to be an inspector
in the Ministry of the Interior.
(iii) Mehdi Shahrukh, Chief of the Department of Justice in Isfahan, to
be Governor-General of the 8th Ustan (Kerman) vice Fazlullah
Bahrami, resigned.
(iv) Mohsin Shahrukhi to be head of the Contracts and Legal Affairs
Department in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
(v) Murteza Mushfiq Kazemi to be head of the Minister’s office in the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
(vi) Abul Hasan Mahjubi to be head of the Cipher Department in the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
(vii) Sadiq Fatemi, Inspector-General of the Registration Department, is
appointed Director-General in the Ministry of Interior.
Internal Security.
Khorasan.
8. Further details are now known of the recent mutiny of Persian army
officers in Meshed (see paragraph 12 of last Intelligence Summary) on the
16th August. Thirteen officers, including a Lieut.-Colonel Nawai of the Supply
and Transport Department, 2 majors, 5 captains, 5 subalterns, and 4 or 5 soldiers
obtained possession of a jeep, 2 lorries, a W/T set and arms and ammunition.
To prevent pursuit they immobilised the remaining army vehicles by removing
their switch keys and by putting salt in their petrol tanks (sugar, though more
effective, is too expensive in Persia). With the connivance of the Russian control
post (some say avoiding the control post by a detour) they made their way to
Bujnurd, having taken the precaution of cutting the telegraph lines between
Meshed and Kuchan. On arrival there they gave out that they were come on an
inspection of the cavalry squadron stationed there. This they disarmed and made
for the Turcoman Sahra. It was thought in Meshed, and the General Staff was
so informed by the Russians, that these mutineers would join forces with a band
of armed Turcomans, said to number between 1,000 and 2,000, and subsequently
attack Meshed. The Chief of the General Staff, having much experience of
Russians, did not think that they would go out of their way to give him accurate
information about a gang of mutineers with whom they were probably in
sympathy, nor did he think it likely that the Russians would tamely allow them
to attack one of their garrison towns. He acted, therefore, on the assumption
that their information was wilfully misleading and reckoned on the mutineers
heading in the opposite direction. Having no troops in Gunbad-i-Qabus, through
which place they must pass, he asked for the assistance of the gendarmerie, who
acted with the greatest promptness and energy. The local commandant, a
lieutenant, hurriedly collected the men from their scattered posts and was able
to assemble a force of about one and a half companies before the mutineers put in
an appearance. They demanded right-of-way, but were refused. A battle then
ensued, in which the gendarmerie, first putting the vehicles out of action, then
fired upon their occupants. Seven of the mutineer officers were killed and two
were wounded and taken prisoner. The vehicles, arms and ammunition were
recovered. The next day three officers and four men were picked up in an
exhausted condition nearby on the road between Gunbad-i-Qabus and Shahrud.
General Abdullah Hidayet has left for Meshed on a commission of enquiry.
9. Tudeh activity is increasing and on the night of the 18th August 200 or
300 members of that party, mostly “ Muhajirs,” marched to the Telegraph Office
in Meshed, where they demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister. The
procession was accompanied by Russian troops armed with tommy guns. New
branches of the party have been opened at Fariman and at Gif an in the Yamut
Turcoman country.
10. The Russians have opened a branch of the Irano-Soviet Cultural Society
at Bujnurd. They are busy canvassing votes for Seyyid Mahdevi, their protege