Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎377r] (753/807)

e-
vV
3 aJLca.
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
h
c on pV
■ w » •
(flV
PERSIA.
SECRET.
[E 2682/19/34]
r i l-C. Ow
With the Complim»»tt
of th*'
Und#!* 3(#3r«t*.ry of Stmt’S f*
fmr Foreign Affair** [
l <3 Mtrt.jfy,
JjK
a £
,7
April 30, 1942. ' ^
Section 1.
Copy No. Q 'i
iSi«V R. Bullard to Mr. Eden.—(Received April 30.)
(No. 109.) ^ '
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 14 for the period the lst-7th April,
1942, compiled by the military attache to this legation. ti
U)OA
Av/v tflvrS^js^u
Tehran, A pril 7, 1942.
Enclosure.
OAJL,
A
Military Attache's Intelligence Summary No. 14 for the Period April 1-7. 1942.
(Secret.)
Persian Affairs.
Political.
I HE Government, who laboured long over it. has at last announced a
so-called tribal policy. It is a very small mouse. It makes vague promises of
improvements in education, medical services, administration, and undertakes to
examine complaints and remedy injustices. It makes no reference to special
tribal problems and indicates quite clearly that the Government has no tribal
policy. In the hope of finding one, it has now appointed a commission, which is
to include some alleged experts on tribal affairs. The real problem is whether
authority over the tribes is to be restored to tribal chiefs or to be exercised through
Government officials. 1 he former solution is a reversal of the policy consistently
followed by Reza Shah, who successfully substituted his own tyranny for that
practised for many years by tribal chiefs. Tribesmen who have experienced both
are probably not unanimous in their preference. The solution they would choose
is no authority at all. The Government is very loath to take the first steps
towards a return of the conditions of twenty years ago—with some reason, as is
shown by the history of Ears from, say. 1910 to 1920. On the other hand, they
feel that the situation is getting out of hand; their generals tell them that the
troops are unreliable; firmness is a quality not yet developed in a constitutional
Government in Persia; and they may take this retrograde step and let future
Governments pay the price.
Economic (see Summary No. 13/42, paragraph 3).
2. The Government, under strong pressure from His Majesty’s Minister,
rushed a Bill through the Majlis authorising a further issue of notes to the value
of 700 million rials. There has been public criticism and anxiety lest this means
inflation. The Minister of Finance and the press have made reasonable state
ments explaining that the issue is fully justified by the increase in value of the
cover (gold, silver and Crown jewels) available, and these have had some effect.
Profiteers are, however, making the additional note issue a pretext for raising
prices.
3. The Government has imposed a ban on the purchase of all foreign
exchange by the banks. They propose that British Government requirements In
rials should be provided by a credit of 400 million rials, to which account will be
credited the value of goods supplied from the sterling area. This matter is under
discussion.
4. The food situation remains critical in many of the country districts,
notably in parts of Khuzestan and South-East Persia, where very severe
conditions prevail. Some towns are living from hand to mouth, but impending
[29—10]
RECd. POL. DHPr*
H 'G*Y 942
INDIA OFFICE The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.