Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎237r] (473/807)

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(vii) The Germans in Bandar Pahlavi now number about fifty, they are
well-organised and have as their leader one De Haas, an S.S. officer, this
individual has otherwise no legitimate business in this port.
(viii) The German Legation has five wireless experts at its disposal, including
the two ordinary operators. One of these experts is reported as building small
^®^portable transmitting sets from surplus materials which were imported by Messrs.
Telefunken for their wireless constructional work in Iran.
7. U.S.S.R. Interests.
From a reliable police source it is stated that there are 5,000 Persians who
returned nominally as refugees from Russia last year, and who are now located
in the neighbourhood of Tehran.
The majority of 60,000 Russian refugees who entered Iran last year via
Bajgiran (Khorasan Province), Julfa and Bandar Pahlavi live in Tehran. Con
trary to reports, they are nearly all people of the petty-trader or shopkeeper
class. A number of them have been transferred to the provincial towns, as they
were alleged to have been spreading Communist propaganda.
8 . United States Interests.
(i) Acting on instructions from his Government, the American Charge
d’Affaires informed the Prime Minister that import and export credits scheme
could not be used for the purchase of military aircraft in the United States.
If the Iranian Government wished to buy American military aircraft on credit,
they must make their own arrangements with the banks. Dr. Matin Daftary
seemed disappointed at this statement, and it is now possible that the Iranian
authorities will purchase aircraft from elsewhere.
(ii) The Iranian Government have been making enquiries in the United
States about the purchase of contact mines. The quantity is not known, nor
whether actually any have so far been bought. It is considered that these
mines might be laid in the Caspian Sea, but it is doubtful whether the Iranians
would have the courage to do so. Had mine-laying been intended in the Persian
Gulf, it is presumed that the Soviet and the Germans would have provided the
mines either gratis or very cheaply.
9. Communications.
According to the press the new route between Isfahan and Azna railway
station will shortly be opened to traffic. This route is 225 kilom. long and passes
through the following villages: —
Najafabad, million sheet 9 , D 4.
Dunbeni (Denbaneh), million sheet 9, C 3.
Chaman-i-Sultan, million sheet 9, B 3.
Ali Gudar, million sheet 9, B 3.
Azna, million sheet 9, B 3.
At Azna there are oil storage tanks, and it will be from this place that
the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company will distribute their oil supplies to the provinces
of Isfahan, Yezd, Kerman and Pars.
10. Iranian Landing Grounds.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs strongly denied to His Majesty’s Minister
that there was any truth in the reports that Iranian landing grounds were to
be placed at the disposal of the Soviet in certain circumstances. ^ 1
The Foreign Minister also stated that, while article 6 of the treaty ot IJgl
was still in force, the Imperial Government considered it entirely unsuitable to
present conditions and not in conformity with the Iranian policy of neutrality.
He further stated that during the negotiations for the trade agreement no mention
was ever made of the 1921 treaty. tt- at • ’ tv/t- • f
After takin 0, orders from the Shah, M. Alaam gave His Majesty s Minister
a flat denial of the report that the British aircraft personnel m Tehran were to
be replaced by other persons.