Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [‎518v] (1039/1301)

Dawoodi, Public Prosecutor at
Meshad, has been appointed a member of
the Hiprh Court at Isfahan.
Afshar, Public Works Officer for
East Persia, has been touring at Zahidan
and Zabul.
6. Russian Affairs.
Two Russian retugees who absconded
from Birjand last montb have not yet
been traced.
Muhammad Karim and Iskandar—two
Caucasian refugees—have been arrested
at Meshad as G. P. U. agents and de
ported to Russia. It is said that all the
Caucasians at Meshad are suspect and
likely to be deported.
Two Persian Armenians named
Hartpon and YarkofF, who frequently
visited the Soviet Consulate General,
have been arrested at Meshad and sent
to Tehran under escort.
7. Afghan Affairs.
There has been further trouble at
Meshad regarding passports issued by
the Afghan Consul General. The
Persians t retused to recognise 16 pas
sports which they alleged had been
issued to Persian subjects. The matter
has been referred to Tehran.
Afghan tribesmen who normally graze
their flocks in the Qainat during the
spring are reported to have come there
in greater numbers than usual. As they
engage actively in smuggling and last
year, had several clashes with the
gendarhierie, steps have been taken to
limi^ their movements and arms have
been issued to Persian tribes in the
locality to enable them to keep them in
order.
The Afghan Consul at Zabul appar
ently finds it difficult to maintain easy
relations with the Persian officials.
He is a most inoffensive old man and it
would seem that Officiale in the provinces
are following a determined policy in
making matters difficult for the Afghans.
This attitude is particularly noticeable
in East Persia of late. A few years ago
officials were most obliging to the Afghan
Consuls—more so in fact than to Biitish
Consuls—but the reverse has been the
ease for the last 18 months or two years,
and the situation appears to be slowly
deteriorating for the Afghans.
8. Communications.
The bridge over the Naurab near
Zabul i^ nearing completion and will be
opened for traffic cfficially at the New
Year. The Engineer in charge haa^,
obligingly offered to permit H. M. ConsuL
General to use it before the official
opening.
A contract has been placed tor bricks
for the construction of the large bridge
which remains to be built over the
Sheila on the Zabul-Zahidan road.
M. Ekker, Hungarian engineer in
charge of this work, has recently re
aligned the road from Lutak to the
Sheila.
His alignment has been followed by
H. M. Consul-General on a recent tour to
Zahidan. It cannot be said to be a
happy one since it traverses for several
miles low sandy hills. They are covered
with &mall stones which make it passable
for light cars for a few journeys but the
soil underneath is ver^ light and will
rapidly become impassable. It is un
likely that the light metalling it is
proposed to use in this area will stand
traffic as it will sink into the sand. The
route has one advantage inasmuch as it
avoids the area liable to annual inunda
tion.
The Meshad-Birjand and Meshad- ‘
Tehran roads were rendered impassable
tor several days during the month bv
heavy snow. *
A lorry conveying 40 pilgrims from
Meshad to Tehran skidded on the Firuz
Kuh and fell over the precipice. AH
the travellers are reported to have been
killed.
9. Smuggling.
Reports continue to be received from
all districts to the effect that smuggling
into Persia is rife all along the frontier. |
10. Foreign Travellers.
Zahid Agaisnoff, U. S. A. citizen,
arrived at Zahidan from India and
proceeded to Tehran.
II. H. M. Consular officers.
Captain Galloway on transfer to
Bush ire left Zahidan on 7 th February.
Major Rivett Carnac transferred from
Aden assumed charge of H. M. Vice
Consulate Zahidan on 20 th.