Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎321r] (641/807)

3
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General Farajollah Aghevli (Military Attache’s Personalities No. 6 ,
Foreign Office No. 25) to be Director of Recruiting.
Colonel Hussein Atapur to be Assistant Director of Transport.
1 British Interests.
British Troops.
18. The General Officer Commanding, 10 th Indian Division, and a small
mechanised column visited Isfahan during the week and were generally well
received. Hopes raised by their arrival were dashed by their departure.
19. The 6 th Indian Division is now in process of relieving the 8 th and
10 th Indian Divisions in Persia.
Communications—A ir.
20. A survey flight from Cairo arrived in Tehran on the 5th October, con
sisting of a representative of B.O.A.C. and several R.A.F. officers, in connexion
with the proposed weekly service from Cairo to Tehran, with possible extensions
to Baku and Moscow and via Shiraz and Jask to Karachi. It has been suggested
that when negotiations are opened with the Persian Government for the operation
of this service they should be invited to re-establish the service previously
operated by them between Tehran and Bagdad.
21. Of the aerodromes available at Tehran the experts of the survey flight
decided that Qila Murgha was the most suitable for development, in spite of the
best workshops being at Doshantappeh. Qila Murgha will require runways, as
after rain the surface becomes impossible for heavy aircraft. As ram is due now,
the matter is urgent. Funds will have to be provided and the work done by the
British.
Transit Routes—Road and Rail—to Russia.
22 . A considerable amount of preliminary investigation has been made into
the capacity of rail and roads, and plans for the maintenance of roads and opera
tion of mechanical transport are well advanced. Satisfactory arrangements have
not yet been made with the Russians regarding the points at which consigmnents
are to be handed over to them.
23. The roads to be used are—
(i) Nok-kundi-Zahidan-Meshed.
(ii) Khanakin-Kazvin.
9 (iii) From a railhead at Andijrneshk-Khorramabad-Hamadan-Kazvin.
(iv) Bushire-Shiraz-Isfahan^Tehran, if required.(fl* tas 6
24. Reference paragraph 24 of Summary No. 21 (current). The Russians
have now agreed that passes- will not be required by British officers going from
Tehran to Kazvin and Zinjan, or from Tehran to Chalus via Karaj. For all other
journeys requests for permits will have to be made by His Majesty's Legation
to the Soviet Embassy.
Propaganda.
25. British propaganda is arousing much greater interest in Persia. It
suffers, however, from one grave handicap. References to the objects for which
the war is being fought—democracy, freedom, liberty, the security of the smaller
nations—have a cynical sound in Persian ears.
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Russian Interests.
Military Operations.
26. Two columns, each of about twenty armoured vehicles and twenty
lorries, left Tehran on the night of the 6 th in the direction of Meshed.
27. A party of four Russian officers and three men, all armed, from Meshed,
visited Birjand and Zahidan during the week. Their journey caused some con
sternation. The Persian commander at Birjand expected that they would
1 demand the surrender of the arms of the garrison and asked Tehran for orders.
28. It is reliably reported that the Russians are constructing defences along
the Turkish border in Azerbaijan.
29. The Persian Minister of Ways and Communications, returning to his
home outside Tehran one evening, was waylaid by Russian soldiers and he, his
wife and driver robbed of valuables. This and several other robberies by Russian