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14. British Interests.
Major J. B. Cunningham, Royal Indian Army Service Corps, a language
student who arrived in Isfahan in June, was ordered by the police, acting
presumably on instructions from Tehran, to leave Iran within forty-eight houis
No reason was given. Urgent representations were made to the Acting Ministei
for Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister, and it was decided that Major
Cunningham should be permitted to come to Tehran, where the case would be
discussed
H. J. UNDERWOOD, Lieutenant-Colonel,
British Military Attache.
Gulhek, September 10, 1938.
Appendix to Enclosure.
The Trans-Iranian Railway.
REFERENCE Intelligence Summary No. 18 (current), paragraph 3. I he
following is a brief description of the country through which the I rans-Iranian
Railway passes :—
The line commences at Bandar Shah, a small port at the south-east corner
of the Caspian Sea on the edge of the Gurgan steppes, whence it runs along the
green and fertile plain of Mazanderan through the small towns of Behshahr
(Ashraf), Sari and Shahi. where there are cotton mills. It then turns south and
enters the winding valley of the Talur River until it reaches Pul-i-Sefid Station.
Here the ascent of the Elburz Mountains begins. After traversing innumerable
tunnels and zig-zagging up the steep mountain sides, the line crosses the
Firouzkuh Pass at a height of 2,100 metres; it then descends the Hableh Rud
Valley into the Veramin Plain, when it takes a westerly course as far as Tehran.
From Tehran the line goes south to Qum and then passes through the
undulating country between Qum and Iraq (Sultanabad). Between Iraq and
Do Roud (Bahrein) it passes through a hilly region, at Nourabad Station reaching
a height of 2,173 metres above sea level. The line then follows the Ab-i-Diz Rivers
through the gorges of the Luristan Range for over 100 kilom., passing through
tunnels and across bridges and viaducts, even more formidable than those on the
Elburz section. After Andimeshk (Salehabad) the line emerges on to the vast
Khuzistan Plain, passing through Dizful and Ahwaz, where it crosses the Karun
River and continues over flat country until it reaches the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. at Bandar
Shahpur, its southern terminus.
The total length of the Trans-Iranian Railway is 1,394-160 kilom., of which
150 kilom. in the north and 159 kilom. in the south was almost insurmountable
mountain ranges, over which the line was constructed in the face of tremendous
engineering difliculties.
From the physical, geographical and climatic point of view, the Trans-
Iranian Railway can be divided into eight sections, which are as follows
1 . The section between Bandar Shah and Shahi, a distance of 127 kilom.,
comprises the well-watered Mazanderan Plain. This region has a mild and moist
heat and is very favourable for agriculture. Its principal products are rice and
tobacco. New factories for silk, cotton spinning, &c., have recently been started,
so a brilliant industrial future is anticipated. The small seaside port of Babul Sar
(Meshed-i-Sar) is also being developed into a holiday resort.
2. The section between Shahi and Gadouk, a distance of 114 kilom., comprises
the district on the northern slopes of the Elburz Range. Here the climate is mild
and verv moist owing to the heavy rainfall. The mountain sides are covered
with thick forests and undergrowth, the principal agricultural products being
rice and barley; seams of coal also exist. Large flocks of sheep, goats and cattle
are grazed on the higher slopes of the mountains in the summer, and are driven
down to the Gurgan steppes in the winter.