Coll 28/18 ‘Persia; Diaries; Meshed intelligence Summaries 1931–’ [‎17v] (34/299)

particular air line as from the 1st May 1931.
It is however still possible that the Persian
Government may yet provide the necessary
inducement to this Company to continue
this service.
4. Refugees from the I T . S. S. R. Six
liussian refugees including one woman, who
recently entered Persian territory near
Lutfabad and who were returned to Soviet
territory by the Amnieh Department have
since re-entered Persia through Kalat-i-
Nadiri. The Persian authorities, after in
stituting enquiries about these refugees have
permitted three men and the women of this
party to proceed to Meshed under an Amnieh
escort.
(B) Soviet Affairs.
5. Soviet Commercial activities. — (i) ft is
reported that a number of Meshed mer
chants who had entered into business
transactions with the Soviet Shark C om-
pany in Meshed before the introduction of
the Trade Monopoly Law now find them
selves considerably embarrassed owing to
the partial non-delivery of goods sold to
them by this Soviet Trading Company.
These Persian merchants are reported to
have petitioned the Governor General and
also complained to Tehran against the
business methods of this Soviet agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
(ii) The local Persian authorities are
becoming apprehensive of the considerable
number of Soviet subjects who have recent
ly been arriving in Meshed in the guise
of employees of the Shark Company.
They suspect that a large proportion of
these men are in reality agents of the
O. G. P. U. Department.
(Hi) The Bureau-Perse—a Soviet Trans
port Company—has circulated a nctice to
the effect that from the 22nd March. 1931 the
Soviet Mercantile Fleet will maintain a
regular service of freight and passenger
steamers plying between the Black Sea
Ports, the Red Sea and Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The
ports of call by these Soviet steamers in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. will be Bushire, Bandar-i-
Abbad and Basra. Tickets for this Soviet
steamship Company can be obtained in
Meshed.
6. Alleged Soviet propaganda activities in
Persia .—It is reported that certain pam
phlets printed in Persian and addressed to
the Communists of Persia have recently
been discovered in Tehran. It is stated
that the Persian Government after institut
ing enquiries has come to the con
clusion that the pamphlets were printed
in the U. S. S. R. The Persian Ministry
of Education has sent a circular telegram to
the heads of the provincial Education De
partments instructing the latter to take
steps to suppress all similar pamphlets
propagating communism and ridiculing
religion of the country.
7. Doctor Dumree alias Fridunee .—
(Please see No. 18 in “ Black List for
warded to the General Staff under my
No. 580, dated 3rd January 1931). It is
reported that this individual who had been
acting as Shahinian’s local representative
during the latter’s absence in America
had mis appropriated Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. 7,200
Shahianian is said to have succeeded in recov
ering Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. 2,000 of this sum. Dumre.
has now left Meshed and is reported to be
making for Kerman where he hopes to find
employment as a doctor in the Parsec
hospital in that town.
II.— Herat.
8. Ahdur Rahim, and the Kabul Govern
ment. — (i) It is reported that the Naib
Salar regards the coming visit of Mahmud
Shah, the War Minister, to Herat with con
siderable misapprehension and is very
alarmed as to his future. He is now fre
quently away from Herat on the pretext
of shooting trips. While away on these
shooting trips he is said to be endeavouring
to win over to his side the inhabitants of the
Ghurian and Islam Kala districts.
(ii) It is reported that Abdur Rahim had
recently paid a visit to Karim Khan
Baluch, who with his followers has now
settled at Shabash, with the object of
enlisting the support of the latter in the
event of trouble with the War Minister.
(Hi) It is reported that Firqa Mashar
Mohammed Ghaus Khan, who was formerly
G. O. C. in Herat is to accompany the War
Minister to Herat.
(iv) It is stated that the Nurzais who
form the majority of the population in
Herat district, although in the .past they
have repeatedly promised to stand by the
Naib Salar, when recently called upon by
him to re-affirm their promise on oath,
have refused to do so.
(v) The Naib Salar is reported to have
obtained a considerable numbers of signa
tures from among the civil and military
officers and notables of Herat to a petition
which has been despatched to Nadir Shah
to the effect that the population of Herat
was extremely satisfied with the Naib Salar
as an administrator and they therefore
humbly request His Majesty to allow him
to remain premanently in Herat.
(vi) It is reported that the Naib Salar,
presumably in order to re-establish himself