'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎268v] (541/610)

490
Treaty with
Afghanistan.
Political situ- xne musu iihjc± coumg, — .
tion in January gince t } ie f a n G f Saiyid Zia-ud-Din has been the rise ol Kiza
T T , K 4-r» r»-rr rl ir«_
ports and productive centres has been actively engaged since
^August in e porting all available foodstufis to Russia and
spreading propaganda. These activities were the outcome of the
Russo-Persian Treaty concluded by Sipahdar s Cabinet m Fe -
ruary and ratified by the Majlis with slight modifications m
December 1921.
It is impossible to predict how strong Russian influence will
become and how far South it will penetrate, but it has returned
to stay, and it is inconceivable that British influence should
ever re-attain the ascendency it held in Tehran from 1918 to
to 1920 during the absence of the Russians. It is deplora le
that the only result of this short-lived ascendency has been an
estrangement and embittering of Persian feeling towards Great
Britain, and the final disappearance of the popularity she
achieved in 1906 (see page 13).
A treaty was concluded with Afganistan in November relat
ing to diplomatic representatives and the status of each other s
nationals, and providing for a commercial pact.
The most interesting development in the internal situation
illie Standard Oi
1022 .
xca-j-x —
Khan’s military power with its resemblance to a military dic
tatorship. The financial situation has in no way improved,
and the Imperial Bank has stopped advances which it was
making to the Persian Government on the security of the royal
ties payable by the Anglo-Persian Oil Coy. Riza Khan’s recent
military expenditure amounts to 700,000 tumans a month.
He has established 2 first claim on the treasury, but even if he
monopolizes the Persian revenues they will not nearly meet
his requirements with the present system of administration,
and Mr. Armitage Smith, the financial adviser, whose success
in obtaining £1,000,000 from the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
might have been expected to ingratiate him with the Persians,
retired in September owing to the hostility of the Cabinet and
the Majlis. As a means of raising money the Persian Govern
ment offered the 3 Khustaria oil concession in North Persia
ip* The offen
P% and ol
powers and
aicaiis were sta
'ii and,
1 Recently the Persian Government appear to have taken alarm, and h je
issued orders restricting export of foodstuffs, and Belgov, the chief of the •Kusuan
organization, was recalled in December to Russia, as the expense ol his opera
tions was proving disproportionate to their value. The agencies are at lanriz,
Astara, Enzali, Meshed-i-Sar, Bandar-in-Gaz, Damghan and Razyin. . .
» e.g. in Azarbaijan the Customs and excise revenues are being paid oireeu
into the Military Treasury; provincial postal receipts are similarly taken ove
^ * M. Khustaria (see page 275) had disposed of it to the Xorth Persia Oil tbm-
pany affiliated to the Angio-Persian Oil Company, but the Pe’-sian Governsnu
have refused to recognize the British claim. The Russian Minister at -lehro®
also protested to the Persian Government that their action is a breach of me
Russian Persian Treaty.
not