خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠١ "بلاد فارس - الشؤون الداخلية (إرساليات متنوعة)". [و‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (٢٤٨/٢٤٣)

3
and in the provinces, and the task of the fifth column, for the time being, may
have been rendered somewhat more hazardous. We still have, however, a long
and difficult road to travel before we can say that it no longer constitutes a real
ifc^nenace. Enemy propaganda has, during the period under review, to some extent
/ .ibeen driven underground, though it still exists in strength and is likely to show
its head again, whenever the war situation becomes unfavourable for the Allies.
At the present moment there is a noticeable recrudescence of Axis activities here
which have, no doubt, been staged to coincide with German military operations
-in Libya and Russia. The Berlin and Rome broadcasts are, fortunately, jammed
and the Prime Minister attributes much of the easing of his own position to
this fact. As the result of further representations by His Majesty's Minister
the local authorities have been instructed to allow all public broadcasting sets
to be only used for listening to Allied broadcasts, including those organised
nightly from the Tehran station by the Public Relations Bureau of this legation..
This, of course, is of distinct advantage to the Allied cause.
9. The noteworthy increase in co-operation on the part of the Persian
Government since the April crisis has also shown itself in a number of subsequent
issues. For instance, the tribal situation has given considerable cause for anxiety
. 1 owing to the ineptitude of the Persian civil and military authorities. It has no
longer been possible for His Majesty’s Legation to adopt an attitude of complete
detachment regarding internal affairs in the tribal areas which lie athwart the
supply route to Russia and the British lines of communications. Largely as the
result of repeated representations by His Majesty's Minister, the Prime Minister
had made, on the 31st March, a declaration to the Majlis promising to remedy
genuine injustices and grievances of tribesmen and setting up a commission for
their investigation. The declaration was couched in vague terms and it seemed
unlikely to create the desired effect in tribal areas. With your concurrence. His
Majesty’s Minister, in May, pressed the Prime Minister to make his offer a
reality and offered to place our good offices at the disposal of the Persian Govern
ment, in areas where our interests might be affected, in connexion with land
grievances. The Prime Minister readily consented to His Majesty’s Legation
being furnished with any information which might be required from records in
the possession of the Persian Government. The Government of India very kindly
placed at the disposal of this legation the services of Colonel Galloway, Political
Adviser at Sultanabad, and of Colonel Fletcher, Political Adviser at
Kermanshah. for the purpose of investigating tribal grievances, and Colonel
Galloway has for the last month been working here as liaison officer with the
Tribal Lands Commission at the Ministry of Justice. He has received a very
satisfactory degree of co-operation. Members of the legation have also visited
Kurdistan to investigate tribal complaints.
10. Meanwhile, the Persian army has, fortunately, shown itself less
incapable of dealing with tribal disturbances than was feared. An armed revolt
in Khorassan by Yusuf Hezara'i (Saulat-us-Saltaneld was suppressed by Persian
troops. In Kurdistan the situation is at present well in hand. In the south the
situation is fairly satisfactory for the time being, but potential trouble-makers
have not yet been challenged by the Persian forces. The Persian army is,
however, a source of considerable preoccupation in view of its known Axis
i i , sympathisers. In any case, it cannot be expected that so soon after the events
of last September it would rally to our cause. It is possible that under the
influence of the Shah it may become better disposed, but I feel that it is up to us
to try and quicken the pace by assisting it as far as may be possible with its
military requirements, particularly transport, and in compensating it fully for
such military equipment as we have removed or purchased in the past. The
arrival of an American Mission should also improve the situation.
11. In the economic sphere, too, it has been found necessary for this legation
to interfere more and more in the internal affairs of Persia. It is impossible
for His Majesty's Government to continue to import large quantities of wheat
into the country, and steps have accordingly had to be taken to encourage greater
local production and to ensure the proper distribution of wheat, whether grown
locally or imported. It has required repeated and insistent representations to
.. get the Anti-Hoarding Law put into effect; and it has now become essential to
| strengthen consular staffs by the appointment of special consular liaison officers
■ to watch wheat distribution and check hoarding in the provinces. 1 his scheme
* should be in operation shortly. Meanwhile it is a sign of the times that it has
[31—35] b 2