Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎370r] (739/749)

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Copy No.
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Military Attache’s Intelligence Summary No. 49, Secret, for the Period
th December to 'ISrd December,'—(Communicated in Tehran
Despatch No. 449 of 1\th December, 1945; Received \0th January, 1946.)
Persian Affairs.
Political.
THOUGH important news has come from Azerbaijan, except for some
excitement on the 19th December, caused by the arrival in Tehran of the General
Officer Commanding, Tabriz, interest seems to have shifted to Moscow and an air
of tense expectancy as to the outcome of the conference prevails.
2. On the 18th December in the Majlis the Prime Minister made his long-
awaited speech on affairs in Azerbaijan. It was firmer in tone than any of
his previous utterances and accused the Russians more directly of interfering in
the internal affairs of Persia. He reiterated his intention to proceed to Moscow.
In this connexion it is learned that the Persian Ambassador there has so far been
unsuccessful in his attempts to contact any responsible official in the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs. They invariably plead pressure of business as an excuse for not
seeing him.
3. The programme of the Azerbaijan Government, as reported by Radio
Baku and published in the Tudeh organ Rahbar of the 18th December, is repro
duced as Appendix “A” to this summary.
4. An account of the inaugural meeting of the Azerbaijan National
Assembly, taken from the paper Rahbar of the 18th December, is published as
Appendix “B ” to this summary.
5. An article in the Russian paper Pravda of the 14th December,
discussing the question of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Persia, states
that “ in reality, there is no question at all, as the Soviet-Anglo-Persian Treaty
of 1942 clearly defines the tasks, conditions and period of stay of Soviet troops
in Persia.” While there is nothing new in this attitude, a more ominous note is
heard when the article goes on to say that “ in any case, under the Soviet-Persian
Treaty of 1921, the Soviet Union has the right to bring its troops into Persian
territory.” For the benefit of those recipients of this Intelligence Summary who
have not a copy of the treaty referred to, the following relevant paragraph is
reproduced here :—
“ VI. If a third party should attempt to carry out a policy of usurpation
by means of armed intervention in Persia, or if such Power should desire
to use Persian territory as a base of operations against Russia, or if a foreign
Power should threaten the frontiers of Federal Russia or those of its allies,
and if the Persian Government should not be able to put a stop to such
menace after having been once called upon to do so by Russia, Russia shall
have the right to advance her troops into the Persian interior for the purpose
of carrying out the military operations necessary for its defence. Russia
undertakes, however, to withdraw her troops from Persian territory as soon
as the danger has been removed.”
It would appear that the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. of the article has an elastic conscience or
that he failed to notice the preceding paragraph which states that the two high
contracting parties undertake—
“ To prohibit the formation or presence within their respective
territories of any organisations or groups of persons, irrespective of the
name by which they are known, whose object is to engage in acts of hostility
against Persia or Russia, or against the allies of Russia.”
6 . The ninth and tenth days of Moharram passed off quietly in Tehran.
Mourning processions had been strictly banned by the Military Governor as it
was thought that bands of armed hooligans might be assembled under the guise
of religious fervour.
[73—161] b