خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠٠(٢) "بلاد فارس: الوضع قبيل احتلال الحلفاء، وما بعده" [و‎‎١‎٥‎٠] (٦٠٦/٢٩٩)

ft\A P-td- •
INDIA DIRECT
[This telegram is of x icy and should be
retained by the authorised recipient and not. passed on]
icy and should be
FRCM IR AN (PERSIA )
FRQi TEHRAN TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
Sir R. Bullard.
No. 504 .
7th August, 1941
D. 12.50 a.m. 7th August, 1941
R. 2.10 p.m. 7th August, 1941
2.10 p.m. 7th August, 1941
Repeated to Government of India
Cairo
Moscow
Bagdad
Angora.
IMMEDIATE .
Government of India telegram to India Office.No. 5690.
20th July and iny telegram No. ::: 466* (~ne ilner' aHToressea to*
Bagdad or Axigottf.
MOST SECRET .
The question of propaganda against the Shah would be
completely altered in tne case of Russian-British ultimatum,
which was to be followed by military action in a few days in
case of non-compliance. To forestall the Germans and to
make prospect of occupation more palatable we might
simultaneously with ultimatum release articles and wireless
talks about Iran (Persia), referring not only to "fhe good
points, but to the great defects of the present regime,
e.g. compulsory acquisition of the best land at dishonestly
low prices and enormous rise in the cost of living on account
of monopolies. By then it should be too late for the Shah
to throw himself into the arms of the Germans, while the army,
which is strongly anti-Shah, would be encouraged to turn
against him rather than obey any order he might give to
resist occupation. All this is speculation and it is
notoriously difficult to foretell how -tortuous- Iranian
(Persian) *minds* will work, but I am sure that the policy i
suergested is ^safer than to do nothing and- to let the people
conclude with Germans encouragement that we are still : * : in league ^
with the Shah*.
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