File 5257/1919 'Persia: the Military Commission' [‎61r] (126/534)

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In Persia, on the other hand, the most serious problem is that of the internal
security of the country. The country is full of well-armed tribes who are always a
source of potential disorder if not rebellion, and, this being the case, the conditions
are favourable for the activities of armed robber bands of varying sizes. The internal
security of the country is, therefore, a problem far beyond the scope of police, as is
the case in Europe. The question is whether it is better to deal with this problem
mtL means of a uniform military force, or whether two kinds of military force, an
- army and a gendarmerie, the former under the Ministry of War and the latter under
that of the Interior, are necessary to deal with it.
The Commission consider that there are no advantages in having two military
forces to deal with this internal security problem, while there are numerous and
serious disadvantages in having such a dual organisation.
In the first place, the problem is not a different one, whether robber bands on the
roads are small or large, the former to be dealt with by gendarmerie and the latter by
the army. When a band appears it is impossible to say whether it is an isolated
small one or part of a larger one. In any case they have to be dealt with in the same
manner, and the troops doing so must work together, whether they are part of the
garrisons of posts or whether they form part of movable columns. The most efficient
way of securing the safety of routes is by hunting down those who endanger such
safety to their places of origin and destroying them" at their source, and this can only
be done effectively by men properly trained as soldiers.
99. It has been shown in the preceding paragraph that it is necessary for all
troops charged with the security of routes to work together. This will be very
difficult if not impossible if the troops belong to two different organisations, not
serving under the same head. Intrigues and jealousies are bound to spring up
between bodies serving alongside each other but owning allegiance to different heads.
Other disadvantages of having two organisations for what is really the same purpose
are complications as regards recruiting and greater expense in maintaining two
administrations instead of one, including duplicate sets of schools, two systems of
training and two sets of supply establishments. One large organisation instead of
separate small ones gives greater scope for efficient men to come to the front.
100. The Commission are, therefore, of opinion that there should be in Persia
two classes of armed forces only, viz. :—-
(i.) The army, under the Minister of War.
(ii.) The police^ under the Minister of the Interior.
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101. The duty of the army should be (a) to guard the frontiers of Persia from
external danger, \b) to preserve the internal security of the country, including the
chief commercial routes, to deal with rebels, brigands or bands of robbers, and (c)
to come to the aid of the civil power, when that power requires armed force, above
what can be provided by the police, to carry on the civil administration of the
country.
102. The duty of the police should be {cl) to maintain order in towns and
municipal districts, which includes the guarding of houses of individuals in cases
iere can be do f where this is necessary, and (b) to assist the finance, justice, and other departments
of the State in carrying on the ordinary administration of the country, the army only
being called on to assist when circumstances arise which are beyond the power of the
police to cope with.
103. While the whole army should constitute a single uniform force administered
in a uniform manner, the different units have to be assigned to three classes of duty,
viz., (i) field troops for active offensive operations, (ii) local security troops for
guarding routes and garrisoning posts, and (iii) the Imperial Guard, for H.I.M. the
Shah and H.I.H. the Heir Apparent. For the first category, recruits require to
be selected for superior physical fitness, their equipment needs to be somewhat
different, and their training of a higher standard. The Imperial Guard should be a
Corps d’elite, composed of old soldiers, selected for good and faithful service in units
of the other categories, and service in the Imperial Guard should be regarded as a
reward for such service. The Imperial Guard to be expected to set a high standard
of smartness and discipline as an example to other troops.
104. The Commission consider that the police requires to be considerably
increased to enable it to carry out its duties as defined above. The present regular
police organisation as existing in Tehran and a few other towns requires to be
extended to all other important towns of the Empire. In addition and in order to
enable it to carry out the duties referred to in paragraph 102 (&) above, a force of
mounted police should be raised in each province, organised and administered as
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