Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎88v] (176/807)

6. The A mironian Oil Company.
Reference Intelligence Summary No. V2 (current), paragraph 14. It has now
been officially announced in the Majlis that the Amiranian Oil Company have
abandoned their concession in Iran. The exact reasons are at present unknown,
but it would appear that oil has not been discovered in sufficient quantities to
warrant the great expense of drilling operations and the laying of a pipe-line. &c.
According to a report from the British military attache at Kabul, the Inland
Exploration Company (the Afghan branch of the Amiranian Oil Company) have
decided to abandon further operations in Northern Afghanistan for the present
and to concentrate on operations in Seistan, Kandahar and the Southern
Provinces. The company’s geologists are. however, of the opinion that there is
little hope of finding oil in large quantities in these areas.
To justify the construction of a pipe-line to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the cost of
which might be £10 million, the production of oil must amount to 4 to 5 million
barrels per annum.
The company have never intended installing refineries in Afghanistan, but
proposed selling ithe crude oil in the best market, which might be Russia, Persian
Gulf or India.
7. The Iranian Army.
(i) Artillery Captain Lippert (Hungarian Reserve of Officers), who for some
time past has been employed as an instructor in anti-aircraft gunnery, has left
Iran.
(ii) It is reported that there is a proposal to form in each infantry division a
non-combatant section for gas defence work. The section will be composed of
doctors, hospital orderlies, &c., equipped with protective clothing and chemicals
necessary for decontamination of gas-covered areas.
(iii) An Army Council has been created. It is composed of the following-
members :—
President—
The Acting Minister of War.
Members—
The Under-Secretary for War.
The Chief of the General Staff.
The General Officer Commanding 1st Division.
The General Officer Commanding 2nd Division.
An Officer Commanding-in-Chief.
Director of Munitions Supply.
Director of Medical Services.
Director of Recruiting.
8. Civil A viation.
Deutsche Lufthansa ,—Reference Intelligence Summary No. 12 (current),
'paragraph 19. According to a report from Kabul, the Russian military attache
there stated that his Government were strongly opposed to the establishment of a
German civil air service to Kabul and the Far East, and would do everything
possible to prevent the inauguration of such a service.
The Russians have, at present, dropped the proposals for the establishment
of a similar service between Tashkent and Kabul as a result of their present policy
of severing contacts with foreign countries.
Iranian Air Mail Service .—Reference Intelligence Summary No. 7 (current),
paragraph 7. The weekly Iranian air mail service from Tehr'an-Kermanshah-
Bagdad now leaves the capital on Thursday mornings, returning on Fridays.
9. Aerodromes.
(i) It has been decided to construct a civil aerodrome at Qum (million sheet
No. 9, square 2 C). A site has been selected to the east of the town and near the
River Safidabad. The work of levelling. &c., will commence shortly.
(ii) The landing ground at Mussik (Merivan) (degree sheet 2 I. square 2 A)
has been completely relevelled.
(iii) The Senneh landing ground has also been repaired.