خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠٠(٢) "بلاد فارس: الشؤون العامة والوضع، إلخ، بعد احتلال الحلفاء" [و‎‎١‎٠] (٤٠١/١٩)

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Under Secretary of State
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From PER S I A . 1 6 SEP ' r
FROi i TEHRA I'T TO FORFT^__QFFT(]F.
Sir R. Bullard.
Bo. 731 . D. 6.12 p.m. 11-th September, 1941-
H-th September, 191-1. . R. 1.35 p.m. 15th September, 1941.
Repeated to G-overnment of India
ifoSGOV/'. ^
IMvIBD IATE.
Wen the army disintegrated, as it did nearly everywhere,
thousands of men sold their rifles or kept them for private use.
In Kermanshah area the process was observed by our forces who
recovered some rifles. Bushire reports men deserting with rifles
and even a machine gun. Shiraz telegraphs that Qashgais have
plundered many villages, and I have no doubt they have arms.
The insecurity round Heshed has been reported already.
2. Military Attache has several times urged the Minister
for Jar to ls^P* unde.] with the disintegration of the army,
but the Minister does not even admit it has disintegrated. To
deal with the disorder which is now occurring on a large scale,
some.armed force, additional to the gendarmerie, will be
required. To try to restore the huge ill-paid conscript army
under ^corrupt officers is impossible, even if it. was: desirable.
One of the first reforms to be announced should be, I consider,
the abolition of conscription, which has been [grp. unde.] of
tyranny and corruption. What is wanted is much smaller but
far better paid force than before, recruitment on a voluntary
basis. Many Persians are of this opinion, and I shall support
it unless I receive instructions to the contrary. The Military
Attache agrees, but adds that unless the Shah is going to run it
the force would have to have foreign assistance. The-Shah is not
running anything at present, and has done nothing whatever to try
to arrest the disintegration which has occurred. On the other
hand, he has just ordered some useless building operations for
himself to be continued and is asking whether he cannot send
someone to the north to see how his estates are getting on.