Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎350r] (699/749)

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November 8, 1945.
Section 1.
Copy No.
1 0
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Military Attache's Intelligence Summary No. 42, Secret, for the Period
^nd October to 28£A October, 1945.— {Communicated in Tehran Despatch
No. 376 of 30£A October, 1945; received in Foreign Office %th November.)
Persian Affairs.
Political.
1. As reported in a postscript to last Intelligence Summary, Muhsin Sadr
tendered his resignation to H.I.M. the Shah on the 21st October. Press accounts
give as the reason for his resignation the continued attacks by Dr. Musaddiq
and the continued opposition by the Majlis to all bills tabled by his Government
even after the securing of a vote of confidence on the 27th September. With all
his disappointments, however, Muhsin Sadr can claim some small achievements
during his period of office. The general situation in the country is no worse. The
Tudeh, largely through the firm action of his Cabinet, has been rendered harmless
for the moment in Tehran though in part their disappearance from the arena
is due to the cessation of open support by the Russians in Tehran who, now that
they have in theory evacuated the capital, can no longer provide protection for
bands of Tudeh toughs by escorts of Russian soldiers armed with tommy guns.
Sadr has found the money for the purchase of British military telecommunications
and the greater part of the American military railway assets. He has paid
Persia s contribution to U.N.R.R.A. He secured the passing of the law to post
pone the next elections till all foreign troops have left the country. He has, at
least, shown himself aware of the pressing needs of security in the Anglo-Iranian
Oil Company’s area and had undertaken to table a Bill to provide the necessary
credits. In the face of the prevailing apathy in all Government departments, the
hostility of the Russians, the ceaseless opposition of the minority and the
obstruction of the Majlis as a whole, his record bears favourable comparison with
that of his predecessors.
2. The President of the Majlis was received in audience by the Shah on
the 21st October and was requested to urge the Majlis to choose a new Prime
Minister by the 24th October. This they did with commendable promptitude and,
at a secret session on the 24th October, elected Ibrahim Hakimi (Hakim-ul-Mulk),
who received seventy-five votes as against six cast for Qawam-us-Saltaneh. There
were thirteen abstentions. Hakimi was Prime Minister for about one month in
May oi this year. Hakimi has not yet presented his Cabinet to the Majlis.
3. Other business in the Majlis during the week has been the election of
the various Majlis commissions, an announcement by the Minister for Foreign
Affairs that Persia would be evacuated by Allied troops by the 2nd March, 1946,
discussion of the Bill to authorise payment for the remaining American railwav
assets and the passing of a l/12th budget Bill for Mihr 1324 (23rd September-
22nd October, 1945).
4. On the 26th October, the birthday of H.I.M. the Shah, the customary levee
was held in the Gulestan Palace.
A ppointments.
5.—(i) Major Farzanegan to be assistant military attache in Washinoton
vice Ali Qawam (son of the Qawam-ul-Mulk), who has returned to Persia,
Major Farzanegan spent some time in England under training with
Marconis. He speaks good English and has for the past three years
been Persian assistant to General Ridley of the American Military
Mission.
(ii) Abbas Sadr, Chief of the Hamadan Municipality, has been appointed
acting Governor of Hamadan vice Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Akram recalled.
[71—139]