Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎21v] (42/749)

2
encourage spring sowings with unprecedentedly successful results. His Govern
ment was not to blame for the short showings of the autumn. There were no
grounds for anxiety about food supplies. The question of exchange had been
settled with the British authorities to the advantage of Persia. Good relations
had been maintained with the Allies on the basis of the Tripartite Treaty, and
a real collaboration had been achieved with America.
5. 1 here have been tood riots at Burujird and Gulpaigan, resulting
damage to Government property and injury to the rioters. There are grounds
for suspecting that these riots are instigated by parties hostile to the Government.
See also Summary No. 28/42, paragraph 6.
b- The trial of Colonel Mukhtari, the head of the police in the later years
of Keza Shah s reign, is arousing much interest in Tehran. He, with several
associates, is charged with a long list of crimes, including the murder of Modarris,
Prince Nusrat ed Dowleh, Sheikh Kazal and other prominent Persians who had
incurred the dislike or distrust of Reza Shah. The present Shah is, naturally,
considerably interested in the proceedings as it is well known that Mukhtari
acted on the orders of his father.
Economic.
7. The Minister of Finance recently laid before the Majlis a Bill for the
aboiition of the 3 per cent, tax that is now imposed on all produce entering towns
and the substitution of the land tax that was previously in force. In theory the
measure is sound, but in practice the land tax led to many abuses, was expensive
to collect and uncollectable in areas where Government authority was weak, as
happened m the past in tribal areas, and as is the case to-day in some areas. The
Bill is, as was to be expected, meeting with opposition from the landowners
,, . JNo P/ogress has been made in the matter of the collection of wheat for
the feeding of the towns. Rather the landowners and hoarders have strengthened
their position ms-a-ms ^ the local authorities, whose natural inclination to do
nothing has probably been strengthened by financial inducements from the
interested parties, whose object is firstly to persuade the local officials to agree
that they have no surplus wheat, and secondly to secure the abolition of price
restriction so that they may sell their surplus stocks at hi^h prices on a carefullv
managed market. ^
9. In the course of a speech to the Majlis the late Prime Minister said that
from the beginning of the financial year to the 22nd July revenue had been
864 million rials and expenditure 874 million rials.
A 'p'pointments — Civil.
10. Abdullah Adi Isfandiari,
Isfahan Province.
to be Farmandar and Assistant Ustandar of
Persian Army.
wo* h- Th e Shah s military Cabinet has been abolished. This Cabinet, which
was instituted oy Reza &hah, was in reality a body of officers whose duty it was to
visit formations and units and to make reports direct to the Shah. It was in
fact, an mtelhgence organisation to spy on commanding officers. Its last chief
was karlashkar Ahmad Nakchevan, a former Minister of War Its existence was
resented by the Chief of the General Staff. existence was
12. The Chief of the General Staff has gradually eliminated from amona
his assistants those officers who favoured a foreign mission for'the reorganisation
of the army and has substituted officers of pronounced nationalistic tendencies
They are relatively honest and efficient and there is no reason to assume that as
a body they are pro^German. They are probably guided mainly by con idera .o,
for the interests of Persia, as seen by them, and particularly offhe Persian army
r 13 l , <k nera Greel >: ° f United States army, adviser to the Intendan
General s Department of the Persian War Office, has returned to America by a i
accompanied by, his assistant, Colonel Gillespie. It is understood from General
GreeR that he intends to report to Washington that he considers that America
would be justified m sending a Military Mission to Persia, and to reprete t he
Persian army s deficiencies in transport and other equipment. 11 tne
Internal Security.
IT There is little to report; some hold-ups on the i
situations. ^ BurUjird; n0 ohan S e in the Q^hgai, Boir Ahmadi or KuXh