Coll 28/18 ‘Persia; Diaries; Meshed intelligence Summaries 1931–’ [‎92v] (184/299)

o
( 6 ) Tehran — Resht. —The following
information has been furnished by a
Persian member of the Staff of this
Constilate-General, who has just com
pleted this journey and returned to
Meshed via Barfarush. The figures
quoted are the official figures of the
Persian Roads Department.
(1) Tehran—Kazvin —145 Kilometres,
all metalled ; a good broad road with no
gradients of any note. At Kilometre
36 (from Tehran) the road crosses the
Karuj river by an iron bridge 25 metres
long.
(2) Kazvin — Manzil—IM Kilometres,
all metalled. The first 24 Kilometres
are through a flat arid desert; the
road then enters the mountains,
where it is well graded and well con
structed. Villages are scarce and
produce of any kind difficult to
obtain. At Kilometre 62 (from Kazvin)
the road crosses a stream (a Tributary
of the Sharud river) by a well con
structed masonry bridge, and then
turns northwords. At Kilometre 80,
the Sharlid is crossed by a masonry
bridge.
(3) Manjil—Resht —GO Kilometres. At
Manjil the road crosses the Safid Rud
river by an iron bridge 45 metres long,
and follows the course of the river
thro-ugh forest country.
Total distance Tehran—Resht 338
Kilometres (212 miles).
(c) Resht—Ferozlcuh (and thence to
Meshed by Tehran-Meshed road).
( 1 ) Resht — Lahijan —41 Kilometres
through jungle. Metalled throughout.
At Kilometre 18 the masonry bridge
across the Safid Rud has collapsed.
Cars, etc., are ferried across.
(2) Lahijan — Rud-i-Sar —32 Kilo
metres. Metalled.
(3) Rud-i-Sar — Abbasabad —87 Kilo
metres. The road is metalled and runs
along the foot of the hills ; there are
innumerable streams, crossed by wooden
bridges. These bridges are in a bad
state of repair.
(4) Abba^abad—M e s h e d-i-Sar —134
Kilometres. Metalled. The first 40
Kilometres are averagely good road;
the next 80 Kilometres are extremely
bad; there are a number of wooden
bridges either collapsed or on the point
of collapsing.
(5) Meshed-i-Sar—Barfarush —20 Kilo
metres. Good metalled road.
(G) Barfarush—All Abai —26 Kilo
metres. Good metalled road.
(7) All Abaci — Ferozkuh —112 Kilo
metres. Good metalled road.
Between Resht and Meshed-i-Sar the
road crosses innumerable small rivers
and streams, some by bridge, some by
ford. The majority of these bridges
are wooden and are in a very delapi-
dated state.
His Majesty the Shah recently per
formed the journey and special efforts
were made to make the road passable
for him. Within a few days of his
going through, however, several bridges
broke down and parts of the road were
again washed away.
The road cannot be regarded as fit
for motor traffic.
II. Central Asian Soviet Republics.
4. Baimn .—( Vide also Summary No. 6
II 2 ). Informant arrived on November
3rd.
{a) Garrison and Armaments —
14th Infantry Regiment.
Two Squadrons 81 Cavalry Regiment.
A Battery.
A Pioneer Detachment
Commandant
G. P. U.
3' Guns
6' Gun
Machine Guns
Radio .
100 men.
Poznitski.
200 men.
6
1
16
3
Note .— In Summary No. 6, it was stated that
the Cavalry detachment in Baisun was of the
79th Regiment. Present informant states that
the detachment belongs definitely to 81st. In
the same way, Summary No. 10 (5) stated that
the 79th Regiment provided the detachment at
Denau. The next para, of this current Summary
states that the detachment at Denau is also 31st
Regiment. Presumably, then, the duty of
finding these detachments passes from one
Regiment of the 7th Brigade to another.
( 6 ) Reservist Training .—Reservists of
the Baisun area were called up for
training on October 1 st.
(c) Air S'm^ce.—Informant confirms
para. 2 ( 6 ) of Summary No. 6 .
(d) Constructions .—Informant con
firms para. 2 (c) Summary No. 6 . He
gives the number of new buildings
completed date as 18, and states that,
with effect from the summer of
1933, it is hoped to make Baisun the
hill station for the Termez garrison.