Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎263v] (526/807)

2
Sherif Khaneh in the home of the German manager of the transport services on
Lake Rezaieh. On the former occasion a him was shown, and the Minister spoke
oi the value of the cinema for propaganda purposes. Iranian police officials
were present. At Sherif Khaneh no Iranians were present, and the Minister
harangued his audience on the subject of the war and mentioned how each one of
them was to carry out the job allotted to him.
It is said that one of the reasons for the German Minister's visit to Tabriz
was to enquire whether the results obtained by German propaganda in Azerbaijan
were commensurate with the (considerable) sums expended. Turkish sources
report that the German organisation works smoothly and that key men in the
Administration, military and civil, are under German influence.
(ii) Recently the German Legation has refused re-entry visas to German
subjects. The explanation given is that the German Government cannot allow
entry to anyone who could contradict the lies put out by the Propaganda Bureau
about conditions in England and the German successes.
(iii) Germans and other foreigners employed in the provinces are being
given entirely false news items. A Sudeten German railway constructional
engineer, returning to Tehran from Shahrud, was astounded to hear that
Gibraltar had not yet been taken, that Spain was not yet in the war, and the Suez
Canal was not yet in the hands of the Italians—all of which he had heard from
Germans coming from Tehran.
(iv) The German Minister (Herr Ettel) has sent over 1,000 parcels to the
1 soldiers of the occupying armies. At the last moment he decided to have enclosed
in each parcel a friendly letter of encouragement and congratulation from one
of the German colony. The aim of the letter is to establish personal contact for
sending further parcels, and the exchange of propaganda.
(v) “ Party ” activity is being manifested in new forms and is being
intensified. Courses in foreign languages (French, English, Iranian) have been
arranged, as also have courses in fencing, riding, driving and gymnastics.
(vi) It is noted that the Deutsche Allemagne Zeitung has begun the
“ Germanisation ” of the names of towns occupied; for instance, Nancy is
Nantizig; Verdun, Verden; Cambrai, Kambryx.
(vii) German Legation circles are fully confident of ultimate victory. They
maintain that the invasion of Britain is not now necessary, as the constant and
heavy aerial bombing of London and the cities of the Midlands is beginning to
have effect and will cause the British people to collapse. To hasten the end, they
/ state that the Fiihrer is determined to use a secret and powerful gas to accomplish
his ends.
(6) Soviet Interests.
(i) Eight White Russians, who had become Iranian nationals, have recently
been much persecuted by the Iranian police and ordered to leave the country.
They managed to prolong their stay several times by bribing certain senior police
officials. In the end, they got so exasperated that they went in a body to the
Soviet Consulate and told the consul their story, asking him to do what he liked
with them, even to returning them to the U.S.S.R. The consul was very
sympathetic and issued them with Soviet passports within twenty-four hours,
telling them to go to the Iranian police once more to demand permission to stay
If the police did not issue them with these documents, they were to throw “ these
worthless bits of paper ” (Iranian passports) in their faces. The band of White
Russians accordingly again visited police headquarters and asked for permission
to stay on in Iran. This was immediately refused. They then threw down their
Iranian pasports and drew from their pockets the Soviet documents. “ Permis
de Sejour ” was immediately granted.
(ii) About the middle of September two members of the Soviet Embassy in
Tehran inspected the former Russian Consulate buildings in Isfahan and
Bushire.
(7) United States Interests.
Reference Intelligence Summary No. 20. paragraph 10. A contract has been
signed between the United States of America and Iran for the supply of
130 000 tons of rails. The American terms were more favourable than those
offered by India.