Ext 5000/41(3) 'Persia - General Situation (Sept. & Oct. 1941)' [‎25r] (49/466)

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POLITieM;HBifi l Hakai(*iW.
PR01? PERSIA.
FROIi T3HRAM ‘TO FORSTGR OFFICE,
INtlA DIRECT
OCT 184)
SECRET
Sir R. Bullard
No, 1052
iT 6 tn October, 1941
B. 2.20 p.ra. 26th October, 1941
R. 8.55 p.m. 26th October, 1941
Repeated to Government of India No. 855 frU* AuJbtg*
Angora No. 215 iU • 1
Sir S. Cripps) T\\
Cairo •) saving .
Bagdad
IMMEDIATE.
a. a. a. a. a. a. a
Your telegram No. 951. F»Q- Rs^: a ^ ,
r +nA? ur + ^ tr i ctur ? s on P ie Per sian Government overlook,
1 uimk, the two circums uances which are naturallv more in
treatefth^lA ^ 11 in Lon ^P (a h? hat if the U Russfans have
R e /?\ r f, la ? s a ? allies, the Persians, have not
noticed ib (b) that under Article 24 of the Constitution
the proposed Treaty cannot be concluded without the
approval 91 ^che Majlis. Nevertheless, I find that the
Prime Minister thoughtfully sent for leading members of the
various parties in the Majlis for confidential talks,
su PP o:r 't Por principle of an aliiance.
fortunately the Majlis cannot amend the draft Treaty but
only accept or reject, and the Prime Minister hopes to secure
f : QTri^ as ^^ a M lla ^S r ^^y ^ a 3 lis, if not unanimity, in
favour of the Treaty. The Prime Minister realises the
.isadvantages referred to in your telegram under reply
which would [2 grps. undec. ?assist the Majlis 1 to sign
the Treaty, but he has to overcome the tendency in the
public to believe that Germany is stronger than Russia.
I am making the most of the promise of economic assistance,
but we have broken so many definite contracts to supply
essential goods to Persia.that the vague wording cf xx
Article 7 has little meaning. I hope that the Treaty will
suppose that it will look very
attractive to the Persian public unless’we can Promise to
deliver more wheat and sugar than is, I fear, possible, and
to buy considerable quantities of local produce, we deceive
ourselves.
fh 6 matter must be decided within the next few days,
as the mandate for the Majlis comes to an end in about a week.
would_ not solve the problem to postpone the decision until
the Majlis is dissolved and to have the Treaty signed by the
Goverment alone, as that would only increase the clamour,
already considerable, that the new Majlis should meet at
once.
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