Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎260v] (520/749)

longer runs) the annual call-up in other areas exceeds the army s requirements.
Where a surplus exists, conscription is effected by casting lots. lb° se . w b° are
not taken only receive exemption for one year and may also in following years
be fortunate enough to escape. They do not, however, receive permanent
exemption and have the disturbing liability hanging over their heads for a
number of years. The greater the number of possible conscripts the greater is
the opportunity for rigging the casting of lots and the exemption, after payment
of a suitable bribe, of the fit and the intake of the physically second rate.
Persian Navy.
5. After repeated requests by the Persian Government for the return of
all or some of their naval craft still afloat, the Royal Navy has agreed to the
return of the admiral’s barge and two motor launches after repair. While
these if efficiently handled, may go some way towards prevention of smuggling
and frontier control in the Shatt-el-Arab they will not suffice for other needs
said by the Persian Government to be equally pressing, i.e., general preventive
duties'and as a means of communication between the scattered garrisons along
the whole Persian coast from Bushire to Jask.
Internal Security.
Bakhtiari.
6. The Chief of the General Staff has decided .to postpone till a more
suitable occasion the operations for disarming the Bahmai and Taiyebi for the
reasons given in paragraph 9 of the last Intelligence Summary. According to
a consular report, General Humayuni has submitted an alternative proposal to
disarm the Hajiwand sub-tribe of the Chahar Lang Division of the Bakhtiari.
This alternative proposal has not yet reached the Persian General Staff. It will
require examination for two reasons. Firstly, at this late season, the Hajiwand
will soon be starting their upward migration to their summer grazing grounds
near the Ushtarinan Kuh, thus putting themselves beyond the reach of their
attackers. Secondly, the Hajiwand live, both in their winter and summer grazing
grounds, in close proximity to another sub-tribe of the Chahar Lang (also an
off-shoot of the Fuladwand tribe), the Hivedi, to whom it is believed the murderers
of Mr. Vice-Consul Harris and Dr. Griffiths and his son belong. His Majesty’s
Embassy has been pressing the Persian Government for more than two years
to bring these murderers to justice, and their reply, so far, has been to the effect
that their habitat is not under Government’s control. If military operations
against the Hajiwand are considered feasible it is difficult to see why the Hivedi
should be regarded as beyond the reach of a punitive column.
Isfahan.
7. A number of persons have been arrested by the Persian military authori
ties for smuggling arms. One of them was a member of the Tudeh party. One
unconfirmed report says that vehicles of Iransovtrans were used for the purpose.
The above information is especially interesting in view of the numerous reports
in the Tudeh press of late to the effect that “ Mysterious Hands,” “ Fascists,
Imperialists ” and “ Reactionaries ” were busy arming the tribes of the south.
8. On the 15th February some fifty members of the Tudeh ambushed a car
containing Abbas Quli Dehesh, a factory An East India Company trading post. owner, and Saif pur Fatemi, the Majlis
Deputy. On the timely arrival of a party of soldiers about twenty members of
the gang were arrested, among whom was the local Tudeh leader, Bahrampur.
The Soviet consul, Marchenko, demanded his release frorfi the Governor-General
and, on being treated to some plain speaking by the latter, demanded the recall
of the Governor-General and some other officials. The Governor-General, who
seems to have behaved with admirable firmness, courage and impartiality
throughout, has asked his Government to procure the recall of Marchenko. The
situation is tense with Tudeh and anti-Turkish factions spoiling for a fight.
Kuh-i-Galu.
9. Some progress has been made in settling the disputes between Abdullah
Khan Zarghampur and his half-brother, Khosro. The former was last reported
to be near Behbehan, but to be reluctant to enter the town without some form 1
of British guarantee.