Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎270r] (539/644)

7
36. In the interests of security, proposals were submitted in November to
the Foreign Office by His Majesty’s Legation in agreement with General Wilson
for the arrest of General Zahidi, Colonel Ferouhar, M. Nobakht and General
Kupal on general grounds of persistent and dangerous hostility to the Allied
cause. In view of their importance it was clear that it would be futile to request
the Persian authorities to effect their arrest, and it was, therefore, suggested
that the British military authorities should take the necessary measures
' i Nmselves. It was finally agreed by all concerned that we should concentrate
fi Jt on General Zahidi, as being the most dangerous of the four persons concerned,
and defer action against the others, in order to see first the effect produced by
the arrest of General Zahidi. All necessary measures were accordingly
taken by the British military and General Zahidi was arrested without
the use of force in his house at Isfahan on the 6th December and immediately
removed from the country. As the arrest coincided with the riots at Tehran, it
passed almost unnoticed. Both the Shah and the Prime Minister mentioned
the matter to His Majesty’s Minister and seemed rather aggrieved that they had
not been warned of our intentions in advance.. The Shah expressed the view
that, if he had been told, he would at once have had General Zahidi arrested.
They were both informed in reply that any previous notification would have
been very awkward for the Persian Government and that it was accordingly
thought better that the British military authorities.should take full responsibility.
As regards the other three suspects, no decision had been taken before the end of
the year.
The Supply of Foodstuffs.
37. Since the upheaval of August 1941 no effort had been made to collect
any appreciable amount of the Government share of the 1941 wheat crop, which
was required for the feeding of the towns, and early in the year it became
apparent that the equitable distribution of the wheat available in the country
and of that imported from abroad was beyond the power of the Persian Govern
ment. Consular officers were therefore directed to include the supervision of
wheat distribution in so far as it might be possible within the scope of their
activities; but by April it was realised that if further imports were to be avoided
far more drastic intervention on our part would be required. The Government
were urged both verbally and in writing to take timely steps to secure their full
share of the coming harvest by all means in their power, including raising the
price from the previous low level of £8 a ton, and announcing the new price
in good time. They were clearly informed that until this had been done they could
expect no help in the way of shipments of wheat from abroad. The advice fell
on deaf ears, and it was not until July, when the harvest in the south was already
gathered, that as a result of continued pressure from the legation, an average
price of 1,500 rials (about £12) a ton was at last announced. By this time the
black market price had already risen considerably beyond this figure and the
concession was too late.
38. In order further to stimulate the Persian Government to activity,
especially in the provinces, where their authority was weak, the consular liaison
officers’ scheme was introduced by which British officers, borrowed mainly in the
first instance from the army and subsequently from Burma, were posted to the
principal districts, not only to ascertain the real extent of the surplus on which
the Government should be required to lay its hand, but also to do what they
could to keep the local officials up to their work. The scheme met with varying
success in the different provinces. In Khuzistan it was a complete failure and
had to be abandoned owing to the refusal of the Government even to try and cope
with the situation, and in Kermanshah it has met with little success; but in other
areas it has been of real use, stimulating the lazy and encouraging the timorous
to do their duty.
39. Numerous representations by His Majesty's Minister led to the passing
of two anti-hoarding laws during the spring and summer, the second of whicli
virtually gave the Government full powers to deal with hoarders. But by no
amount* of representations did we ever succeed in getting effective action taken
against hoarders. The Government was unwilling either to force landowners to
sell at the official price or to pay them the price they demanded. Nor was any
effective action taken by the Persian Government to prevent smuggling into Iraq.
Regardless of the difficult shipping situation, they requested the sending of large
supplies of cereals and made representations both in London and in Washington
on the subject.