File 6391/1928 'Persia and the Persian Gulf: method of counteracting Soviet activities on Persia and the Persian Gulf' [‎43r] (86/157)

7. Lord Birkenhead suggests that the time has come for
initiating counter-propaganda, the means and method of
which could be worked out by the experts. This counter-
propaganda would have to be offensive and supplementary
to our present defensive methods. It is, of course, true
that the Soviet Government do not carry out the under
takings not to engage in propaganda which were given in
the trade agreement, but they do pretend to carry them
out,and the information in the possession of His Majesty^
Government is in the main either of so confidential a
character or so indefinite that it would be impossible
to make out a clear case for publication, whilst to adopt
similar methods and engage in propaganda against the
Soviet Government would afford the Soviet Government an
excuse for their own action and deprive us of the
advantages inherent in our own policy.
8. At present the best that the Soviet agents can do is
to rant about Imperialistic and capitalistic exploitation
of the Eastern peoples and invent fantastic plots and
projects as evidence. For instance, their attempt to
make the Persian Government believe that Great Britain
was involved in the Turcoman rising has not only failed
but has defeated its object, for it has helped to convince
the Persians that, the rising was largely due to Russian
intrigue. A great deal can be done, and is done, by
our Representative in Persia unobtrusively but none the
less effectively, but counter-propaganda would probably
turn suspicion to us and defeat its own object.
/ 9. There is, however, one way in which our position in
Persia could be strengthened as against the Russians, if
more money were made available. Our information of what
is/