Coll 28/111 ‘Persia. Kermanshah – Political diaries.’ [‎34r] (68/751)

ly not available -or having a powerful outdoor broadcast, which
would be much more suitable in the hot weather. A cinema-van
arrived from the Public Relation b Bureau in this district early
in the month and carried out a tour along the main road to the
•rao frontier and back. The performances were >nar*ed in Rerman-
shah by hooliganism on the part of small boys (not organised
obstruction) and by the continual breakages of the old and
unsuitable news-reel films supplied from Cairo. The locally
trained Iranian operator is hardly capable of carrying out such a
sKilled task, and it is to be feared that the potentially very
useful experiment will not last for long in such hands. The van
is now in the Hamadan area.
ivilSCELLAdhOUS*
a; A Russian military journalist named Colonel Grerusalimsky
visited Xermanshah during the week-end of June 6 th and had
several interviews with the British Corps Commander and other
military officers. He writes articles for "RED STAR” and "PRAVDA
and was understood to be going on to the nhwaz area.
b; Pending the construction of a proper military cemetery,
two more British soldiers were buried in the Consulate garden.
Both were killed by armoured vehicles overturning on the narrow
roads here.
c< Protests have been made (even by Iranian residents) about
the scandalous overcharging of British Troops b^' local shop
keepers. Three times the proper price for fruit is not uncommon.
Unfortunately local contractors have been allowed to charge
iexcessive prices in regular contracts with British military
supply officers who totally neglected to consult either His
kajeety* s Consul or the x^olitical Adviser beforehand, as they
might have done.
d ; On dune 27tb Major Bower of the P. A. D. Section in
Be i-dad visited Kerman shah axid discussed with the Mayor and the
i/.O.C. the question of air-raid precautions. The authorities
professed to be ready to have a practice black-out and to think
out me-ns of combating incendiary bombs, but it is practically
certain that they will do nothing unless obliged. They reel sure
that a black-out (which could never be half effective here)
would lead to robberies and disorders, the local police being
what they are, and it is in fact almost certain that with the
present crisis in Libya any simulacrum however factitioue of
an air-raid would help the enemy* s game in the town. Most
inhabitants feel that the war is far too close to their innocent
selves already, and do not love ns the better for it.
F, A. G. Cook.
h. b. m. ocnstJL.
British Consulate,
Kermanehah,
30th June, 1942.