Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎336v] (672/807)

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Reza Fahimi to be Governor of Kerman.
General Hadi Atabai to be Inspector-General of Public Health.
Note.— The first number after a name refers to Military Attache’s, the
second to Foreign Office, Personalities.
Railways.
8 . The Persian press announces—
(a) That it is anticipated that on the line from Zinjan to Tabriz the rails
will be laid as far as Miandoab by the 20th January, 1942.
Note.—W ork has been resumed on the construction of this line.
(b) That it has been decided to construct a line from Khorramshahr to
Ahwaz—117 kilom.—at a cost of 150 million rials.
(c) That it has been decided to construct a line to connect Isfahan with the
line now under construction (completed as far as Anarak) from Qum
via Nain to Yezd.
Internal Conditions.
9. There has been a definite improvement in most parts of the country—in
fact, everywhere except in Southern Pars, where robberies continue to occur on
the roads; the Qashqai situation is still obscure and the authority of the Persian
Government still hardly existent in Dashti and parts of Tanqistan.
10 . Gendarmerie posts are gradually being re-established on the roads
whence they had either been driven by the Russians or had deserted. It cannot,
however, yet be said that the gendarmerie is reliable, although, on the whole, its
i morale appears to be better than that of the army.
11 . There has been some raiding, apparently by Afghans, on the Afghan-
Khorassan border.
12. Some rioting occurred at Hamadan on the 19th November as a protest
against the reported removal of wheat to Tehran. A British military convoy,
which happened to be passing, was stoned by the mob and some Indian soldiers
were severely hurt. The escort with the convoy had to open fire to disperse the
mob and three of the rioters were killed and three wounded. The effect of this
was rather good than otherwise.
13. In Kurdistan there is little change. The Kurds have not yet been
evicted from any of the districts of which they had taken possession, but there has
been little aggressiveness, and there may even be an inclination to come to terms—
perhaps only their own terms—with the Persian authorities. General Shahbakhti.
commanding the Persian forces of the West, is reported to have met some of the
Kurdish leaders and to have come to terms of some sort with the Qalbaghi, one of
the most troublesome tribes.
14. In Azerbaijan there seems to be competition between Turks and
Russians for the affections of Moslem Azerbaijanis, Kurds and Armenians.
15. The economic situation remains bad. There is shortage of wheat and
sugar, aggravated by shortage of transport. The latter may be due more to lack
of tyres than of lorries.
Persian Forces.
16. The practical instruction in flying of Persian pilots recommenced on
the 23rd November. No Persian machine had been in the air since the armistice.
17. The results of the recruiting drive for voluntary recruits for the army
at the relatively high rates of pay of 350-400 rials per month have been one
recruit in the Kermanshah area, thirty-nine in the Khorramabad-Burujud area
and none in Tehran. This has convinced the Persian military authorities of the
impossibility of abolishing conscription. Among the reasons for this very poor
response are distrust of the Persian officer and the current propaganda that
Persian soldiers are to be taken to fight for the Russians against Germany.
18. Conscripts are coming in slowly and unwillingly. The Minister for
War has undertaken to broadcast an assurance of reforms in the application of
the conscription law. The question of modifications in the law is also to be
brought up for consideration. Although the law in itself is burdensome, it is
through the iniquities of its application that the people suffer most.
19. The Khorassan Division and its headquarters at Meshed having been
dispersed, an independent force has been temporarily formed to include the
garrisons of Birjand, Zabul and Zahidan.