Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎333v] (666/807)

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6 . The Commander of ihe Ears Division has been recalled. He is undei
suspicion of not only having made no genuine effort to suppress brigandage, but
even of having encouraged it by thwarting the efforts of others.
7. The Persian military authorities are now planning operations for the ^
KXTjO restoration of the position in Dashti (see Intelligence Summary No. 25,^ para- ^
graph 6 ). They have reports that the Dashtis are endeavouring to have arms run ^
over from the Arab coast, which they consider might be easy, as, their navy being
now in British hands, they have no means of patrolling the Persian coast, along
whose length from Bushire to Lingeh Persian Government authority has virtually
disappeared.
8 . His Majesty’s Consul at Tabriz reports that the situation is quiet and
confidence is returning gradually. Some merchants and others who had fled when
the Russians arrived are coming back to their homes. Trade and commerce are
still dull, but factories are open, working on a reduced scale. Lack of transport
to bring in the beet, now ready, and shortly likely to be rotting in the fields, to
the factories was preventing the normal production of sugar. The situation along
the Turkish border is confused, the Turks convinced that the Russians are
instigating, and perhaps even arming, the Kurds, and themselves intriguing
among the Turki-speaking people of Western Azerbaijan.
9 . In the Kermanshah area security has improved. In Kurdistan no
material change is reported.
Officials.
10. The Persian Minister in Rome and the counsellor to the Persian
Embassy in Berlin have returned to Tehran.
The Minister of Public Health. Merat (Personality 126 of E 832/826/34 of
the 24th February, 1940), resigned from the Cabinet.
Persian Army.
Appointments.
11 . Sarlashkar Siapush (279) to command the Ears Division, vice
Sarlashkar Amidi, relieved.
Sarlashkar Shaghaghi (270) to command the 13th (Isfahan) Division.
vice Sarlashkar Moini (174), relieved.
Sarlashkar Mehdavi, Chief of the Intendance, retires.
The numbers in brackets refer to Military Attache’s Personalities.
A erodromes.
12. The four aerodromes at Tehran, Doshan Tappeh, Qaleh Murgheh,
Mehrabad and one about 6 miles west of Tehran known as the Aero Club are to
be enlarged and to have runways constructed to make them usable by heavy
aircraft. The work is being carried out at the expense of the British Government.
British Affairs.
13. The General Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq arrived in
Tehran on the 10th November and met General Novikoff, commanding Russian
forces in North-West Persia, on the following day. Questions concerning the
future of the Persian forces, their size and distribution, the purchase by the
British military authorities of arms and munitions that would now be surplus in
the Persian army and the protection of communications were discussed. Some
measure of agreement was reached, although General Novikoff was, as usual,
cautious and non-committal.
14. Considerable progress has been made in the clearing of the congestion
at the port of Bandar Shahpur (P.G.). The waterway of the Karun River is to
be developed from Khorramshahr to Ahwaz. These two towns will probably also
be connected by a railway.