خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠٠(٢) "بلاد فارس: الوضع قبيل احتلال الحلفاء، وما بعده" [و‎‎٢‎٤‎٩] (٦٠٦/٤٩٧)

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government, and should be
:^pt
under Lock and Key.]
[ Cypher] * DISTRXhUTL N
FronK IlhJI (PSRSL'J.
FROM TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
Sir R. Bullard.
N° : 454 (Part II).
22nd July, 1941.
D: 9.30 p.m.
R: 1.55 p.m.
^ X i
A O O *1
"t£OI
19 41
22nd July, 1941.
23rd July, 1941.
A AAA44 A i $ £
MOST IMMEDIATE.
Prime Minister admits that some Germans have lately
come to Tabriz who were engaged under contract by private
purchasers of German machinery (he seemed not to realize
irresponsibility of Iranian (Persian) authorities m
allowing this at such a moment) but he denies any
noteworthy net increase and promises to supply me with
figures,
3. ,uS to enemy ships at Banda Shapur, acting Minister
for Foreign ^flairs told me [grp. undec: ? in a]
[grp. undec: ? whisper] that for some time each of them
had an Iranian officer on board all the time: he had
not v/ished this to become known lest the Germans should
accuse him as usual of acting under British pressure.
’■ Prime Minister promised to place two gunboats [grp. unclec.
’i 9 on] [grp. undec: ? guard]instead or one. ^expressed
\ general scepticism about these slov/ craft 0 _ Prime
\Minister said part of machinery of enemy_ships would be
removed "if it seemed necessary" but as Iranian Government
would still be the judge of the necessity, we should have
no security.
4. Prime Minister admitted that this [grp. undec:
9 deportation of] one or two Germans of importance might
scare av/ay others and took note of three names v/hich
I gave him. Soviet ambassador gave hinp several others.
I Iraai Minister has to-day produced to Ministry of Foreign
affairs evidence [? grp. omitted: of] Mayer s connexion
with the troubles in Iraq and there is real hope we may
: get rid of him.
5. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister for
Foreign affairs were startled at my lett er declaring that
for months the Germans had been spreading.propaganda
describing the Shah and the British as jointly responsible
for the sufferings of the country and made the^ incredible
statement that not merely the propaganda but the _
accusation, was news to them. I take this proiession of
ignorance as a'proof that the almost universal complaint,
that'His Majesty’s Government are responsible for the Shah
and therefore for the misery of Iran, has never been allowed
[? gro. omitted: to] reach the Shah. ^ To what extent
he is ignorant on other essential points (e.g. the
conduct of his younger sons) no one can say. I have . ^
so far received no reply about my letter. ^Tny of the
German community who, after the initial scare, had settled
down again, have been uneasy the last fevv days and are
apparently sending away some more women ana children.
RECd. *OL.B£Ft.
?'> JL 941
INDIA OFFICE
This