Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎120r] (239/248)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
structure, which is extremely amorphous and confused. I now have the honour to
transmit to you herewith a short note prepared by the Oriental Secretary and
Miss Lambton on various political parties or groups which have recently come
into prominence at Tehran. This is rather more complete than the list enclosed
0 cp in the Military Attache's Summary No. 25 (see my despatch No. 200 of
the 23rd June)7 Most of them are of an ephemeral nature, and none of them are
really parties in the same sense as the word is used in European countries. The
Prime Minister regards them as quite unimportant, and considers that most of
their members are merely hoping to secure lucrative posts by means of the political
pressure which their party hopes to exercise. A past Minister of Education,
Tadayyun, regards them as an instance of history repeating itself : meaning that
in the earliest days of the constitutional movement in 1904 and 1905 a large
number, amounting to as much as 100 of such ephemeral parties, sprang up.
They were known as “ anjumans,” and they all disappeared when the Majlis was
bombarded and forcibly closed by the reactionary party.
2. Mr. Trott’s note contains in summary all the information which I have
been able to collect, hut the groups are so fluid and liable to change that it may
well be that some of the names and details are out of date already. It is also
possible that other groups exist which have not yet come to my notice.
3. Only three of the parties mentioned, Adalat, Sa’Adat and Vahdat-i-
Mellie, have any representation in the Majlis, where there exists no serious party
organisation. There are only a few fractions which are composed of most of the
Deputies, but they are almost as fluid as the parties described in the enclosure
to this despatch, and have a personal rather than a political basis. The Govern
ment is politically inexperienced in handling the Majlis, and appears to have an
innate fear of its members. Thus neither local party organisation, which bears
no relation to the Majlis “ fractions ” nor personal capacity and experience of
Ministers, serve to rescue the Government from its numerous embarrassments
due to the irresponsibility of the deputies.
I am sending copies of this despatch to His Majesty’s Ambassador at
Baghdad and His Majesty’s Minister of State, Cairo.
Note on the Political Parties and Groups now in Existence in Persia.
1. The ‘‘Tuda (People) party may be described as Socialist and anti-
Fascist. It is popularly supposed to be Communist, and certainly shows a
movement towards the Left. The controllers of the party deny that they are
Communists, but it is hardly possible to doubt that the party, and its organ the
newspaper Siyasat, is supported and subsidised by the Soviet Embassy. Its
president is Suleiman Mirza, and its most active member, and the editor of its
newspaper, is Abbas Iskanderi. Its members fall roughly into two groups, firstly
rather theoretical pseudo-Communists and a few Social Democrats, and secondlv
a number of place-hunters. The party cultivates a Democratic outlook and
July 23, 1942.
PERSIA.
With the Compliments
of the
Under Secretary of Stats
jy for Foreign Affnirs
i ^ ’W' ? ?•
Section 2.
Copy No. j J 9
Mr. Holman to Mr. Eden.—(Received Jidy 23.)
21st June, from commenting in further detail on the present internal political
I have, &c.
ADRIAN HOLMAN,
Charge d’A flairs.
Enclosure.