Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎82v] (164/807)

Branch Lines .—Reference Intelligence Summary No. 10 (current), para
graph 10. Qishlaq (million sheet No. 16, square 1a), Semnan (million sheet No. 16,
square 1b). Ten kilom. of this line has been completed.
Roads.—On the 17th May His Imperial Majesty the Shah formally declared
open the Kandawan tunnel (degree sheet 8p, square 4b) on the lehran-Kerej- ^
Chains road. ^ ^
A brief description of this route, called by the Iranians Ihe Special Road,
may be of interest. The road was completed in 1933 at a cost of over £1 million
to gratify the whim of the Shah. His Imperial Majesty desired a road offering
facilities for a more rapid transit from the capital to his estates in Mazanderan
than was afforded by either the Kazvin—Rosht or the Firuzkuh-Shahi route. He
also,wanted a direct route from those estates to the Iranian plateau to facilitate
the export of his agricultural produce. The extraordinarily heavy rainfall^ on
the Caspian side of the watershed, the heavy snowfall on the Kandawan Pass
(9,625 feet) and down to 6,000 feet on either side, and the liability to landslide
of the gypsum hillsides near Gach-i-Sar (million sheet No. 8, square 4d) on the
southern side have all combined to close this road effectively from the end ot
October to the middle of May each year since its completion. What sums are
expended on snow clearing, removal of landslides, repaving of fords, and the
upkeep of the 200 bridges over the main and the side streams have never been
disclosed.
The Kandawan tunnel is 2,800 metres in length beneath the Kandawan I ass
and at an altitude of 6,000 feet. Even this gigantic work will not keep the road
open all the year round as, firstly, the entrance and exit of the tunnel are well
above the winter snow line, and, secondly, the portions which suffer most from
landslides after rain lie on both sides, considerably below the altitude of the
tunnel. ... . j i -w* i
The route is an example of Royal caprice, in its bold conception and skuiul
construction, a source of legitimate wonder to the adventurous tourist. It is of
no commercial or strategical value.
A press report states that the height of the tunnel above sea level is
3,030 metres: it pierces the mountain at a height of 2,700 metres. Ninety
thousand cubic metres of earth and stone have been excavated, and 46,400 kilog.
of explosives was used for blasting. It has taken three years to complete.
6. Harbours.
The Julius Berger Company of Germany have been awarded the contract
for extending the present jetty at Bandar Shahpur (million sheet No. 10,
square 2a) from 140 metres long and 3^ metres wide to 292 metres long and
6i metres wide. This will allow of one more steamer bein^ berthed alongside.
Two more customs sheds are also to be constructed. Work has already
commenced.
7. U.S.S.R. Interests.
The U.S.S.R. consulates-general in Meshed, Tabriz and Isfahan have been
closed down. Only trade agencies remain in these towns.
The Soviet Union now have only one consular post in Iran, that at Bandar
Pahlavi, which is required for shipping, &c.
8. Refugees.
Reference Inteligence Summaries Nos. 9 and 10 (current), paragraph 8.
Refugees continue to arrive from the U.S.S.R. During the period under review
3,000 n entered the Province of Azerbaijan via Julfa. Most of these were small
merchants from the Caucasus area. The total number of refugees up to date
is in the neighbourhood of 5,000. It is possible, however, that the total number
to be expelled may reach 9,000 to 10,000. Many of those expelled, although
Iranian subjects, are, in fact, Russian born. On reliable authority it is said that
these expulsions are not solely confined to Iranian subjects.
No official reason has been given for these expulsions, and even in Iran the
matter is being kept very quiet.