Ext 5000/46(1) ‘Persian Situation: Miscellaneous Reports’ [‎15v] (30/1202)

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communication was made to any foreign mission on the subject of the ban and
therefore no cognizance has been taken of it by this embassy, but instructions
were given to consuls in the provinces to exercise increased discretion in their
contacts with Persians. The boycott has been observed by the Persians in some
towns and not in others.
Before and since the reorganisation of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister has
carried out a series of arrests of extremists, both Right-wing and Left-wing,
and of personal enemies accused of plotting against his Government. These
included the Minister for Commerce, who was said to have arranged, without
the knowledge of Qavam, for the Shah’s sister to visit Moscow. Further arrests
followed the discovery of the intended revolt of the Bakhtiari and Kashgai tribes.
The persons arrested included Bakhtiari Khans and the General Officer Com
manding in Khuzistan, whose treatment by the civil authorities led to the resigna
tion of the Minister for War and of the Chief of General Staff, subsequently
withdrawn after a public apology had been made by the Prime Minister.
In July, after a short strike at the Agha Jari oilfield and a partial strike
at Abadan, called by local Tudeh leaders, a general strike was declared on the
14th throughout the A.I.O.C. area, the ostensible reason for which was a demand
for Friday pay. Trouble was also stirred up by the Communists amongst the
Indian artisans in Abadan. In spite of the declaration of martial law by the
Governor-General of Khuzistan, under instructions from Tehran, the strike went
on for three days, during which serious clashes occurred in Abadan between the
members of the local Tudeh Party and Arabs. There were casualties on both
sides, but especially among the Arabs, and two Arab contractors were deliberately
murdered and dismembered. Little damage was caused to company property
or installations, but a state of extreme alarm was caused. It was evident that
the whole outbreak was of a political nature and not a genuine labour dispute.
Moreover, all the points at issue between the management of the A.I.O.C. and
the workers were under discussion in Tehran before a Government Commission
set up under the new labour law which expressly prohibits strikes without prior
reference to the commission. Production of oil was brought temporarily to a
standstill.
As a result of these events, H.M.S. Norfolk and H.M.S. Wild Goose were
ordered to lie off Abadan in the Shatt-el-Arab after previous notification to the
Persian Government who immediately protested, stating that if the arrival of
these vessels was connected with the strike it would be considered an unfriendly
act. A violent press campaign was also launched against His Majesty’s
Government.
In view of the likelihood of further trouble in the oilfields and refinery, it
was subsequently decided to send an Indian Brigade Group to Basra. This was
announced by the Government of India in a broadcast from New Delhi on the
3rd August, which stated that the force was for the protection of Indian, British
and Arab lives in South Persia, should circumstances require. The announce
ment called forth an immediate protest from the Persian Government and another
outburst in the press. The return of the troops to India was demanded, since
adequate security measures had already been taken by the Persian authorities,
and in any case the strike was considered to be an internal affair not calling for
armed foreign intervention. The Persian Government were informed that there
was no truth in the report that orders had been given for these troops to enter
Persia and soothing assurances were given to the Prime Minister to the effect
that the firm action taken by the Persian provincial authorities during the recent
disturbances was greatly appreciated and that His Majesty’s Government had
every confidence in the intention of the Persian Government to prevent further
disorder. The Governor-General of Khuzistan, armed with special powers bv
the Government, had, in fact, acted to the best of his ability in a most satis
factory An East India Company trading post. manner in the teeth of strong opposition from those under the influence
of the Tudeh Party. In fact, the arrival of British reinforcements probably
strengthened the Prime Minister’s hand in dealing with the agitators besides
having a beneficial effect on the morale of the staff of the oil company
A Government commission was sent to Abadan to investigate the causes of
the riots It was composed of persons of strong pro-Tudeh sympathies who
devoted themselves to manufacturing evidence to prove that the A I O C and
British agents were responsible for the disorders and for the organising of Arab
resistance to the Central Government and hostility to the Tudeh Party \ s none
of the persons arrested had been punished and some of them had been released
by the end of August, a protest was made to the Prime Minister and he was asked
that the venomous press campaign against the company and the British which