Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎76r] (151/320)

Copy to India No. 32.
Letter from H. M.’s Minister, Tehran, to the Foreign Office
London, No. 79 (228/4/38), dated the 27th February 1938.
The President of the Council, when I called on him today before my de
parture on leave, asked me about the progress of the negotiations between His
Majesty s Government in the United Kingdom and the Soviet Government
on the subject of Consulates. I said that His Majesty’s Government had
been desirous of retaining the post at Leningrad, but that I had not yet heard
the result of the discussions.
2. His Excellency told me that the Soviet Union would probably retain
in Iran only one Consular post—that as Pahlevi, which was required for
shipping. The Iranian Government desired to keep two consular posts
in the Soviet Union, at Baku and Ashgabad, but I gathered that only one
w r ould in fact be accepted by the Soviet Government. The Soviet Consular
post at Meshed would also be closed, and His Excellency said that this would
be entirely satisfactory from the Iranian point of view, as the Consulate had
been in former years a centre of propaganda and, while this had been stop
ped, it was still a potential source of trouble.
3. As regards the deportation of Iranians from the Soviet Union, Mon
sieur Jam said that he thought it possible ^that the number to be expelled
might reach between forty and sixty thousand. He thought that this
movement was not entirely to be regretted as the immigrants “ if not too sev
erely infected ” by Soviet ideas, should be a valuable addition to Iran’s
labour force. In fact, he said, he would have no difficulty in finding room
and work for hundreds, instead of tens of thousands.
4. I am sending a copy of this despatch to the Secretary to the Govern
ment of India in the External Affairs Department.
( 24 )
Copies to :—India No. 31.
All Consuls—Circular No. 8.
Letter from H. M.’s Minister, Tehran, to the Foreign Office,
London, No. 78 (338/1/38), dated the 28th February 1938.
I have the honour to refer to Sir Robert Vansittart’s circular despatch to
His Majesty’s consular officers of the 28th April, 1937 (K 3187/3187/250),
requesting the submission of reports on the personal aspect of life at their
posts.
2. Few factors can affect the life of Consular officers serving in Iran more
closely than the restrictions and the customs duties placed by the Iranian
Government on imported goods. His Majesty’s Legation are in the best posi
tion to give a comprehensive account of existing import restrictions as they
affect Consular officers, and I therefore considered it desirable that a summary
of these restrictions should be prepared in His Majesty’s Legation after the
receipt of the reports submitted from the various consular posts in Iran.
I now have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a memorandum
on the subject prepared by Mr. Young. I think that this memorandum should
prove useful to Consular officers proceeding to Iran, and I would suggest that
it might be shown to them together with the report submitted from the post
to which they have been appointed.
3. I am sending copies of this despatch and its enclosure to the Secre
tary to the Government of India in the External Affairs Department, and
to His Majesty’s Consular officers in Iran.