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Soviet Interests.
23. During February there was a scare regarding the alleged arrival of
fresh Soviet troops in North Persia; after making enquiries, His Majesty’s
Mission reported to the Foreign Office that the rumours were not confirmed,
although there had been some reliefs of Russian troops and an additional labour
battalion had been brought into Persia. In March, however, confirmation was
received from several sources of movements and increases of Soviet troops aloi^"
the Turkish frontier; previous troops had been relieved by fresh troops and
garrisons at Khoi, Shahpur and Hazirgan, had been reinforced, though not on
a large scale. The Soviet military attache denied that there had been any
increases.
24. The Soviet section of the Tripartite Censorship in Tehran has recently
begun to examine, with the greatest care, all books sent out from the United
Kingdom to booksellers in Persia, and they have now listed about twenty as
prohibited. The list includes a number of books which are admittedly highly
critical of the Soviet regime, but also Modern Iran, by Mr. Elwell-Sutton,
a member of the staff of the Public Relations Bureau, and Robert Byron’s
First Russia, Then Tibet. They have also refused to allow to be distributed
many items of news in which the British section saw no harm. In some cases,
the items have subsequently been published in The Daily News which, being
regarded by the Soviet authorities as the official organ of His Majesty’s Embassy,
is immune from censorship. The. Russians claim that all the news which they
send in is immune from censorship, being sent under the auspices of Tass and
therefore official. In this way they distribute the most ferocious slanders on
the Poles, while they object to the mildest defence of the Polish case. One
telegram, which we printed in the Daily News after the Soviet section had
prohibited its general distribution, merely pointed out the obvious fact that the
splendid Russian victories had been facilitated to some extent by the Anglo-
American air attacks on German industrial targets.
25. The cultural activities of the Russians in Persia are increasing. On
the 6th February the inauguration ceremony was held of a newly-formed
committee for Soviet-Persian Cultural Relations. (Please compare penultimate
paragraph of my despatch under reference.) The Persian Prime Minister and
the Soviet Ambassador are honorary presidents. The committee has not yet
taken any building for cultural activities in spite of many rumours to the
contrary. The teaching of the Russian language by Russians in the university,
schools, and in technical and agricultural colleges is now being strongly urged
upon the Persian authorities.
Polish Interests.
26. The main event affecting the Polish refugees in Persia during the
penqd under reference was the visit of M. Henryk Strasburger, the Polish
Minister of State. I his was the second time that a member of the Polish
Government had visited Persia, the previous occasion being the visit of
M. btanczyk, the Minister of Social Welfare, in the spring of 1943.
JVL Strasburger arrived on the 24th February, spent fourteen days in Tehran,
where he made a thorough tour of inspection and then spent four days visiting
^ o ls ^ bj n ^ ren s c °lo n y in Isfahan. He left Persia on the 12th March,
n ooo number of Polish civilians in Persia on the 1st January was
i • i ^ en< ^ ^ arc l 1 hnd been reduced to 8,366. In the interval one
ship left with 849 Poles with Rhodesia as their ultimate destination. The
remaining odd 400 left for various destinations such as Palestine or (in the case
of a few) the Lnited Kingdom either as military personnel recruited in Tehran
or as civilians. Negotiations were started for the settlement of 500 Poles in Syria
and for about 200 Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian
Association and Red Cross personnel to be transferred to Palestine. Neither of
these plans had matured by the end of the period under discussion.
28. As the bulk of Polish refugees come from the eastern provinces of
Poland, the declaration by Mr. Churchill concerning the future eastern frontier
of Poland had a disturbing and demoralising effect on the refugees in Persia
and rendered more difficult the task of the British authorities who deal with them.
A fresh difficulty was created towards the end of March when some Poles repre
senting the Union of Polish Patriots in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
set up an office in Tehran and began to angle for support among the refugees,
using as bait the offer to allow the refugees to communicate with their relations
in Russia and to send them parcels.
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