Coll 28/109 ‘Persia. Anglo-Soviet-Persian Treaty of Alliance, 1942.’ [‎192r] (383/442)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government, and should be kept
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[CYPHER]
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION .
FROM: PERSIA.
FROM TEHRAN TO FOREIGN OFFICE,
Sir R. Bullard.
D. 8.30 p,m., 27th September, 1941.
i\r>.
No. 867 .
27th September, 1941. R. 11.15 p.m*, 27th September, 1941.
Repeated to Indi
♦
MOSCOW,
Bagdad,
Angora,
Cairo.
My telegram No. 861 (Saving Bagdad, Cairo, Angora)
and your telegram No. 783.Mow.
1. Present draft asks more of Persian Government
and gives them less. This is unfortunate if we want
co-operation of Persian Government who, it must be remembered,
now have^ to submit to public criticism. I suggested) several
points where I consider draft could be amended with profit
to ourselves as well as to Persia.
2. If military necessity requires that Allies should
have_the right to guard all means of communication and to
station troops wherever they please, it is at least better
to say so in the treaty than to draw lines which are not to
be observed. I would suggest however that we should
consider whether at the same time we could not withdraw
Allied troops from the capital. It is for military
authorities to say whether this can be effected without
danger, but political advantages v/ould be great. At
present Tehran is morally crushed and materially hampered
by proximity of Soviet troops.
3. Cannot article 7 be left as it was in your
telegram under reference? In general, text is what we
have been saying since the beginning of the war. To
reconcile Persia to occupation, something more is needed
than permission to buy goods which probably do not exist
and to have them sent by ships which probably cannot be
spared. Persian Government wants for instance alternative
market for goods the Germans used to buy. This was actually
considered by His Majesty's Government in connexion with
ultimatum.
4. At the end of article 4 where added words are an
improvement. I suggest that we insert after "administration 1 '
the words "the economic life of the country" and that we
attach to article provision for establishment of a commission
to deal with matters arising out of occupation (my telegram
No. 843). Closer definition would be required but the
important thing is to secure recognition of principle.
Since I wrote my telegram No. 848, telegraph communication
with Tabriz has been restored but in other respects
situation is worse and if something is not done, Soviet
occupied territory will have ceased to be part of Persia
for practical purposes for so long as occupation lasts.
to .