Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎66r] (131/749)

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T$<1 UmIk- Staefat^y. of State,
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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
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PERSIA.
SECRET.
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fE 552/110/34]
With the Compliments
©f the
Under Secretary o? State
tor Foreign Affairs
Pin 1943 1
January 27, 1943.
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Section 1.
Copy No.
Sir R. Bullard to Mr. Eden.+^(Reveived January 27.)
(No. 18.) ‘-' V ;,V ,
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 2 for the period of the 7th to the
12th January, 1943, compiled by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, January 12, 1943.
Enclosure.
(Secret.)
Military A ttache’s Intelligence Summary No. 2 for
Qj. Fa tdk* £
V Jct.lr-
the Period January 7-12. 1943.
Persian Affairs.
Political.
HOSTILITY to the Prime Minister is still strong although its expression
takes no very active form, nor has any rival candidate appeared who can claim
any appreciable measure of popular support. The Prime Minister is accused of
being more concerned to reward his friends than to consider the interests of the
State in the appointments he makes, and of cherishing ambitions of dictatorship,
but much of the enmity felt towards him arises from the belief that he is being
i maintained in power by the Allies against the wishes of the people. TLe Shah
remains suspicious and distrustful, still determined to resist any attempt on the
part of the Government to establish any degree of constitutional authority over
the army which would limit the right he arrogates to himself of giving orders
to the army without consulting the Minister for War.
2. The Shah was given a very enthusiastic reception by a crowd of about
10,000 spectators at a football match between British and Persian teams in
Tehran, which might indicate that attempts that have recently been made to
represent him as the champion of youth have not been without success.
Economic.
3. A Supplementary Budget Law was passed on the 26th November, which
gives additional credits to certain Ministries and administrations amounting to
over 27 million rials. Among these the most important are extra credits to the
Ministry of Agriculture for irrigation projects of 9,800,000 rials, to the Ministry
of Education of 9 million rials, to the Ministry of Health for Ears, Kerman and
the Gulf ports of 2 million rials, and to the Central Police Administration for
500 additional police of 1,500,000 rials.
4. The wheat situation not only in Tehran but also in Khuzestan is extremely
critical. Tehran is on very short rations and such bread as is issued is largely
l adulterated with barley and other matter. A complete failure of supply was
avoided only by the issue of another 200 tons from British military sources and
the arrival of about 1,000 tons from Azerbaijan. The prospects of any considerable
quantities of wheat being allowed by the Russians to leave Azerbaijan are not
good as difficulties are being experienced, owing to opposition by landowners
and villagers, in collecting the amount of grain promised to the Russians
| 5,000 tons of wheat and 15,000 tons of barley. Two thousand tons of wheat are
available in Khorassan for movement to Tehran, and there are certain other
quantities available in the districts of Hamadan and Kurdistan, but here there
are difficulties of transport owing to snow-bound roads. These are the only
quantities in view for the feeding of Tehran, and Mr. Sheridan, the American