Ext 5000/41(3) 'Persia - General Situation (Sept. & Oct. 1941)' [‎19r] (37/466)

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POLITICAL DISTRIBllTIOM j 0 4 | j
FROM: PERSIA.
FROM TEHRAN TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
Sir R« Bullard D. '2.50 p.m.
No.1056 R. 6.55 p.m.
28th October, 1941«» »
Repeated to Government of India No. 858
Angora,NOo 214, and
Moscow
Cairo and
Bagdad Saving.
28th October, 1941.
28th October, 1941.
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MEDIATE . ' .
L's'J'-f ' My telegram No. 1052.
U- .
'T.
In conversation v/hich I had with the Shah at a banquet
on October 26th [? group omitted] spoke of the Treaty as
agreed upon in principle but stressed the need of assistance
not only in economic but in military matters. He again
seemed to contemplate large Persian army with equipment
supplemented from Great Britain or America. He said that
army not only lacked ammunition but v/as almost entirely with
out supply services, e.g. it had not a single field bakery.
I suggested to the Shah that the Prime Minister, who was
present, would tell me Persia needed wheat more than
munitions and I spoke of internal military needs as coming
first. Since then member of the General Staff has called
to develop same theme and been met with the same reminder
about internal situation.
2. Military Attache who is in touch with the General
Staff considers that while one clement in these extravagant
plans is the desire to gain time, others are vanity of
military chiefs and above all the desire of the Shah for
recognition of his army as a valuable fighting force. However
that may be I induced my Soviet colleague to call on Minister
for Foreign Affairs immediately with me in order to tell him
that the Treaty could not be delayed while the General Staff
discussed allowance for a large army for large-scale
operations against foreign enemy. We mentioned all tasks
which Persian army either directly or as backing for the
gendarmerie ought to perform, but is not at present performing
properly, viz:
(a) restoration of order in Kurdistan and certain
other tribal areas:
(b) protection of communications:
(c) recovery of arms from private hands
(a)/
| RECd. PCS.. DCPt.
o>) OCT 911
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.