![Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎132v] (264/320)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003e5/IOR_L_PS_12_3443_0264.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎132v] (264/320)")
Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [132v] (264/320)
The record is made up of 1 file (158 folios). It was created in 11 Oct 1937-25 Nov 1942. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
58
war by the continued German aggression on their weaker neighbours. The
Shah said he was informed of the motives of the contending belligerents,
and considered that an allied victory would, from the point of view of other
states, be preferable to a German one.
2. The Shah then speculated on the eventual possibility of the two
sides ever becoming reconciled and I said that we hoped this could be
brought about, if the aggressive methods of present day Germany were
abandoned.
3. The Shah then turned to Iranian policy, that of strict neutrality.
He said that Iran w^as not strong enough to take part in a war and not
weak enough to permit her rights to be ignored. A policy of neutrality
was necessary to Iran and was also of value to the belligerent powers. I
said that the position of Iran was fully appreciated in London and, on
His Majesty referring to the useful role which Iran could play and was
playing in helping to keep things quiet in this part of the world I said
that this was also the desire of His Majesty’s Government. At this point
the Shah began hinting that he was not quite sure that his position was fully
appreciated in London and that there were perhaps ways in which His Maj
esty’s Government might have afforded support to a friendly country. I
asked whether His Majesty had any special point in mind, as it was certainly
the desire of His Majesty’s Government to conduct the war with the least
possible interference with neutral interests. His Majesty replied that this
was not what he had in mind; what he meant to say was not exactly a
complaint, but he had the feeling that the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
had not pressed on with their new developments in the way which would
aiebeen to the interest both of the Company and the Iranian Government.
I asked if this observation referred to the three months since the war
began, as it was inevitable that development work should be held up in
present circumstances. The Shah said however that he was not referring
to the time since the war began, but to the preceding period. The Coim
pany had certainly undertaken certain development work, but he felt that
it would have been possible to do more. He asked me to mention his
views on this point on my return to London.
4. As this matter was exhaustively explained to His Majesty in the
Spring by Lord Cadman it appeared to me useless to enter into any very
prolonged argument. I said that the Company was naturally anxious in
their own interests as well as those of Iran to sell as much oil as they
could : their development programme was based on commercial grounds •
I would of course report in London what he had said to me. •
5. The Shah then raised the question of goods purchased by Iran in
Germany, and the announcement that exports from Germany would be
stopped. He said that Iran had m the past dealt with Czechoslovakia and
Austria as well as with Germany, but those countries had b?en taken bv
Germany, with the result that an even larger proportion of IraiVs trade
.was with Germany than had been the case before. There were now arge
quantities of goods awaiting shipment, which, according to His Maiestv
had been either fully paid for or 75 per cent, paid for bffore the war If
they could not be shipped Germany would keep both the ^oods and the
money, and the loss would fall not on Germany but on Iran I said that
I had not yet received instructions on this point, and could only say that
I would report H.s Majesty’s views to London. I added that the Germans
were attempting, by means contrary to every rule of Interna Horn, Ma w
to prevent ships whether neutral or not, taking goods to or from the United
Kingdom. In these circumstances it could not hp OYr _ fA i fv U . ni i?. (1
•Majesty’s Government should continue to allow German goods to bMre^ly
exported by sea. His Majesty did not dispute this but said tLt in ill
present case the loss would fall not on Germany but ’on Tran w n i h u
to the possibility of finding alternative means'of^pcmt buMaM
the sea route was of course preferable. ^ ’ Ul saia tJiat
About this item
- Content
Printed correspondence from the Government of India’s Foreign and Political Department (later referred to as the External Affairs Department), collated into yearly collections under the heading ‘Iran Series’. The original correspondence was sent by British representatives in Iran (chiefly the British Legation in Tehran) to the Foreign Office. The correspondence concerns: the announcement of laws, decrees, regulations, and budgets by the Government of Iran, the texts of which were frequently published in the newspaper Le Journal de Tehran ; reports from British consular officials covering a range of subjects, including commercial activities, foreign relations and the commercial activities of foreign individuals and companies in Iran, provincial affairs, and the activities of the Shah; in 1939 and 1940, reports concerning the impact of the Second World War on Iran, with a large number of reports from the Press Attaché to the British Legation in Tehran, reporting the dissemination of propaganda and public opinion in Iran.
At the end of the file is a single item of original correspondence, sent by the Secretary to the Government of India. Dated 24 August 1942, it announces the discontinuation of the printing of the Persia [Iran] series for the duration of the war (f 159).
A large number of items in the file are in French. These include the texts of Iranian Government laws, regulations and announcements that were published in Le Journal de Tehran .
The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (158 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 160; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [132v] (264/320), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3443, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044336376.0x000041> [accessed 12 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100044336376.0x000041
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100044336376.0x000041">Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎132v] (264/320)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100044336376.0x000041"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003e5/IOR_L_PS_12_3443_0264.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003e5/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3443
- Title
- Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:7r, 8r:11r, 12v:14v, 16r:16v, 20r, 23r:32r, 34r:41v, 42v:48r, 50v:55r, 56r:61r, 63r:65r, 68r:69r, 71v, 75v:77v, 79r:81v, 82v:85v, 89r, 91r:91v, 92v:93r, 94v:96v, 97v:101r, 102v:108v, 115r:118r, 124r, 125r:130v, 132r:134r, 136r:139r, 141r:141v, 145r:146v, 149r:151r, 152r:153v, 154v:159v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence