خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠١ "بلاد فارس - الشؤون الداخلية (إرساليات متنوعة)". [ظ‎‎٩‎٩] (٢٤٨/١٩٨)

subject of discussions in January and February between Mr. Sheridan and the
British and United States Legations. The discussions also covered the calcula
tion of the amount of imported grain required for Tehran itself. The final
conclusion was that, in addition to, the 25.000 tons of wheat already promised,
5,000 tons of wheat and some 16.000 ton§ of barley or millet flour would need to l)e
imported, and these additional amounts and more have now been incorporated
in the M.E.S.C. programme for the provision of cereals for the Persian Gulf area.
It is hoped to supply barley or millet from Iraq : shipments have already been
made direct to southern ports and deliveries to Tehran by road, via Khanaqin,
have also begun.
6. Engrossed almost daily with the problem of finding the flour for the
next day s bread, and with the fui'ther preoccupation of bringing into operation
a central bakery for Tehran in the teeth of the bakers’ opposition. Mr. Sheridan
has had little or no time to give to the problem of securing a better deal both
foi his own Go\eminent and the Allies next year by securing the maximum
possible collections from the expected bumper grain crop this summer. It will
be one of our tasks in the coming months to see that he is better equipped than he
was last yeai with the two main weapons of money and transport, without which
the present (government monopoly of the sale and purchase of wheat can onlv
pio\e once more, in the absence of the means of compulsion, a useless and
expensive folly.
T ransport.
7. I he organisation of the Persian Government Road Transport Depart
ment under the control of the Allied Road Transport Board and the provision
dining the last tew months of over 150 Lease/Lend lorries should have brought
some iclief to the difficult civil transport situation. This has not been as effective
as might have been expected, owing to the failure of the general public in this
country, and the lorry owners in particular, to help to make the new organisation
a i Llke ever y other measure passed for the good of the whole community,
which hinders the enrichment of a particular section of the population, the control
qt tiansport has met with bitter opposition, even from more responsible quarters
m the Majlis and the Administration. As a consequence, the fleet of contracted
vehicles formed by the Road Transport Department has partly been lost; and
many vehicles that might be doing useful work are either working for their own
account or lying idle in garages. It has, therefore, been impossible to fulfil the
transport programme for cereals (barley and millet) from the Iraqi frontier to
lehran and many difficulties have hindered the work of collecting cereals in the
Tabnz district Without the Lend/Lease vehicles the situation would have been
very serious indeed. 1 he Road Transport Department have also been starved of
tunds by the Government, and as a consequence have often been unable to pav their
contractors. In spite of these difficulties, great progress has been made in intro
ducing some order into civil road transport, and ^clearlv strong support must
continue to be given by the British and American Legations to the Road
transport Board and the Road transport Department, which can be said to be
the only barrier between organisation and chaos where civil road transport is
conceined he Russian Delegate attended only one meeting of the Board
probably because the Russians want to remain free from its regulations
8. The situation has not been helped by the failure of the railway to brino-
its quota of civil supplies to Tehran. Owing to an increase in supplies to
Russia and to interruptions of the service caused by breakdowns and accidents
oil supplies in particular, have been reduced. Many factories in Tehran and
s ahan had to reduce their activity, some to shut down temporarily, and much
hardship was caused to the civil population by lack of kerosene. While the oil
position has now improved, supplies are still insufficient to meet all requirements
C o supphes from Ahwaz, however,, are coming up the line satisfactorily.
in v R C A 0tr °- ° f the .^ration of the Trans-Iranian Railway
om the British to the American military authorities was completed on the
s P ri l ai jd the Lnited States (Government are preparing to regularise the
posi ion of their troops in Persia by the conclusion of a triaty similar to he
Anglo-Soviet-Persian Treaty of 1942. ' tbe
Financial Position.
10. Since the hist review of the financial position in Persia little has been
done to combat inflation. 1 he various remedies recommended by the Anti
Inflation Committee in Cairo have been placed before the Persian' Government