Coll 28/18 ‘Persia; Diaries; Meshed intelligence Summaries 1931–’ [‎38v] (76/299)

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Persian merchants dispose of their goods,
cotton, wool, dried fruits, etc., to the
Russians for certificates showing advance
purchase of Soviet goods, such as sugar,
cloth, etc., before these have been im
ported into Persia.
These certificates of purchase are also
used as a medium of trade between Persiarl
merchants. The goods shown on the cer
tificates are often delayed for months in
Russia, and sometimes not received at all.
On the other hand, goods bought from the
Persians are always transferred across the
border with as much expedition as possible.
Bv juggling with prices the Soviet can
cause a crisis in almost any commodity ;
and also flood the market in a similar
manner should it suit their purpose.
Small merchants are going bankrupt in
all directions. It seems probable that the
Soviet trade policy aims at concentrating
all trade into the hands of a few rich mer
chants, who in their turn will be entirely
under their influence.
(ii) It is reported that a telegram was
recently received in the Meshed Customs
Office from the Persian Minister of Econo
mics in Tehran authorising Russian firms
in Khorasan to export goods to the extent
of 400,000 gold Rials (£20,000).
4. Customs. — (a) The following instruc
tions have been sent to all Persian Customs
authorities :—
(1) All prohibited articles under the
Monopoly Law must be sent back
from the Customs houses by the
23rd October. Otherwise they
will be confiscated. Import of
prohibited articles will not be
allowed in any circumstances.
(2) Prohibited articles brought into
Persia will be considered as smug
gled and the offender will be punish
ed.
(b) Krans 140.000 have been authorised
for the construction of Customs posts at
Jargakhan and Mafaveh Tepe on the Turkis-
tan frontier.
5. It is reported the Persian Soviet Trade
Agn ement has been signed. This requires
confirmation.
6. Persian Officials and Personalia. — (i)
Habib Ullah Khan Taimuri has been ap
pointed Governor of Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam.
He lit on the 29th August to take up his
appointment.
(ii) M. Righana, Manager of the Meshed
bianch of ti e Pehlevi Bank, left for Tehran
on 15th August to take up the appoint
ment of Manager of the Bazaar branch
there.
(Hi) Salman Khan Asadi, a member of
the Mejliss, son of the Mutawalli Bashi
the Meshed shrine, visited Meshed on thev'
28th July returning to Tehran on the 31st.
He stated that the Persian Crown Prince
and the Court Minister will leave Tehran
for Europe on the 5th instant. It is said
Salman Khan will accompany them. The
Prince will undergo his primary education
in Switzerfand and finish at Paris. Taimur
Tash will visit London during the period of
the journey.
(w) Mirza Ibrahim Khari, Governor of
Sarakhs, is in Meshed on a month’s leave.
(v) M. Graux, ex-Director of Customs at
Zahidan, passed through Meshed en route
for Tehran on the 19th/20th August.
7. Refugees. — (i) 42 Turkoman families
which came in through the Lutfabad fron- 1
tier have requested the Persian Govern
ment to permit them to settle in the Buj-
nurd district. It appears their request has
been granted.
(ii) 26 Molakan families, which came
over into the Bujnurd District, have been
settled at Kuli Bagh in the Goklan Turko
man district.
(Hi) Refugees (Turkoman) continue to
enter Persia via Sarakhs in considerable
numbers. 36 families have been settled
in Tiniurabad and 65 more are awaiting
Government orders for their future in Yas
Teppe and Gundikli.
8. Communications.—It has been decided
to construct a new alignment of the Bir-
jand-Zahidan Road to pass through Zabul.
It is hoped to increase the population of the
Zabul area by this means. (Zabul is the
new name for Seistan.)
9. General—(i) An earthquake caused
considerable damage to the villages of Bar-
zalabad and Faizabad in the Kuehan dis
trict on the 18th August.
(ii) The antique treasures of the Meshed
Shrine, which had been sent to London for
the I ersian Art exhibition, were returned
to Meshed on the 20th August.
10. Soviet Activities in Khorasan. (?)
On the 9th August a dinner party was given
in the Soviet Consulate to wl i ;h all local
Communists were invited. At this dinner
the Soviet Cons'll! General read out some
instructions he had received from Moscow
requesting the G. P. U. agents in Meshed
to submit a report on their work for the
period 1st May to 31st July 1931 together
with an account of their expenditure so