Page 256 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

14.
Govornraent ’a/nbara' ao well aa the free market had abundant
• tooka confidence was gradually established and v/ao further
.■Certified by the results of the Tehran Conferenoo which flat­
tered Persian suseeptibilities and strengthened their boliof
in Allied goodwill towards Persia.

In the early part of the year fears ef Russian intontlonn
were at their height and were only increased by continued Rus-
-sian military successes, It v/as not believed that the Russians
would a^ree to leave Persion soil after the war or that any
other power would bo willing or able to eviot then. These fears
even gave rise in Alar eh to rumours, presumably due to an intor-
-ruption of telegraphic communications, that Tabriz had Joined
the Soviet Union, Nor is there in Kerman any effective Soviet
counter propaganda as there is nothing here corresponding to
the Tudeh Party or other pro-Soviet organisation. But here too
the communique issued after the Tehran Conference v/as suocess-
-ful in allaying anxiety, for the time being at least.
The swift capture of Sicily, the doY/nfall of Missolini,
and the successful Allied landings and advances in the so called
Axis fortress of Eurore coupled with the increasingly severe
air attacks from the v/est and the ibucsztsu rapid Russian advances
in the East, had a tremendous effect on the most ardent Axis
exporters, who by the end of the year v/ere engaged in turning
their coats. The news of the fall ef Mussolini woe spread
through the town by posters and news sheets, and was scarcely
credited until the Axis Radios themselves admitted its truth.
News of Persia’s declaration of war was received with
reserve. The better educated people hoped that the country
would gain from participation in the Peace Conferences, but
the less eduoated feared that they might be made to fight and
Persia might be more deeply involved, and that thus the (lay
when conditions would return to ccrm?l v/ould. be delayed. But
a3 no call on Persian man pov/er v/as mace up to the end of the
year,and eocnomic conditions also improved, these fears v/ere
largely dispelled.

In the elections to the Central Assembly Aqai Kezeral and
Aqai Hashdai v/ere returned from Kerfflan city. Hashemi was a for-
-mer member, but ^azeni was a new and not altogether welcome
arrival as he has a history of anti-British activity during the
last war. now professea, however, to have completely chaiged.
his former attitude, ^e had the backing of some of the less un-
-reliable elements In Kermp.n, and was oertainly the most pro-
-rainent personality of those who had any chance of election#
Sir Jan, Jeeruft and Rafsinjan returned their former members.
3aa election was postponed owing to disputes about who ehould
stand.

Of the two detenues who v/ere in Kerman during the pre-
-Tioa.8 year S^rlaskar Attabai remained here under detention;,
he gave no trouble, and has been a keen reader of our propagan­
da material. Hr.^anuk ^artln was allowed to move to ^ashan,
from where he was subsequently rearrested. The general round
up of pro-German 8 and suspected saboteurs caused no reaotion
in Kerman as no local figures v/ere arrested, exoept among oer-
-tain army officers whose ^Wf^Wi5»^KiieF<r/rie.nds were Involved.
propaganda.
Berlin radio deolined In favour an the unreliability ef

-/i a.