Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎140r] (279/749)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
October 28, 1943.
Section 1.
Copy No. 1 j $
Sir R. Bullard to Mr. Eden.~{Received 28lh October)
35 Hovpti
(No. 430.)
^ •. HIb Majesty s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
rincipal Secretary of State for horeign Affairs and has the honour to transmit
^ C 0 P^ Intelligence Summary No. 42 for the period of the 12 th to
18th October, 1943, compiled by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, 28^A October, 1943.
Enclosure.
(Secret.)
Militai'y Attache s Intelligence Summary No. 42 for the Period 12th to
18th October, 1943.
Persian Affairs.
Political.
I HE campaign against Seyyid Zia increases in vigour. The press and
speakers of the Tudeh party openly accuse the British of having arranged his
return to Persia and of intending to try to establish him as a dictator bound
to British policy. It is more than hinted that his accession to power would
ensure Russian hostility to Persia. There is little doubt that this line of
propaganda is Russian inspired. In spite of the strictest neutrality on the part
of all British officials, Seyyid Zia is regarded as a British candidate for power.
His success will be icgarded by Persians as a British victory over the Russians,
and his failure as a Russian victory over the British.
2 . Hr. Millspaugh and all his staff have sent in their resignations to the
Prime Minister because they have failed to get sufficient support from the Govern
ment and the Majlis. Dr. Millspaugh’s chief cause of complaint is the failure
of the Majlis to pass the Income Tax Bill (see Summary No. 23 43, paragraphs 10
and 11 ), which he regards as essential to the rehabilitation of the country’s
economy. The Government is in a quandary. If Dr. Millspaugh’s mission goes
there will be no hope of obtaining financial assistance from America to make
good the deficit in the budget, and the Government will be left to shoulder the
responsibility, with which they have now saddled the American Mission, for
meeting their financial obligations, for reducing the cost of living and for
ensuring the country’s bread supply. On the other hand, the members of the
present Majlis, with only a few weeks of life to run, will not easilv be persuaded
to impose heavy taxation on themselves and their wealthy friends^. While there
are many Persians who realise that the departure of the American Mission would
be disastrous not only to the economy of Persia and to the reform of the
Administration, but also to Perso-American relations, and would give great
satisfaction to the Russians, there are few who would not welcome the replace
ment of Dr. Millspaugh by someone less rigid and autocratic. It is understood
^ that the only condition on which the mission will withdraw their resignation is
M i the passage of the Income Tax Bill in the near future.
3. Hitherto military courts convened to try offences under the Military
Governor Law have, with Ihe exception of primary courts trying criminal charges,
included officials of the Ministry of Justice both as members of the court and
as prosecutor. In future all such courts will be composed of military officers only
and the prosecutor will be a military officer.
4. The Law for Compulsory Primary Education which was approved by
the Majlis in July provides that compulsory primary education shalf be estab
lished throughout the country within ten years, that the course shall He for sixr
[47—14]
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