Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎205r] (409/807)

12. Broadcasting.
German broadcasts in Persian began on the 23rd November, 5 p.m. G.M. F.,
on the 19-7-metre band. This broadcast is timed to follow immediately after
the Turkish broadcast in Persian. The Persian announcer at Berlin is reported
to be Shahbahrami Shahrukh s/o Arbab Keikhusraw Shahrukh (Foreign Office
\id^Personalities, No. 188). This individual has a German wife and was residing
in Iraq prior to the outbreak of war. He is a bad character and disowned by
his family. The Persian spoken is excellent.
There is strong and growing criticism against the present Angora announcer.
13. Reprisals Order.
The decision of His Majesty’s Government came as a severe shock to the
Iranian Government. The Iranian press immediately published inspired articles
and alleged letters from Iranian merchants emphasising that there was no
justification for the British to stop German exports to Iran, since the goods had
already been paid for in kind. The declared object of stopping foreign exchange
from reaching Germany through trading with Iran does therefore not follow.
Iran would suffer, but not Germany. Some mild criticism of German bad faith
in deliberately holding up goods ordered by Iranian merchants has also been
published.
Energetic steps have been taken to furnish explanations of the recent Order
in Council which has done something to diminish the first erroneous Iranian
assumptions.
German oral propaganda is alive in keeping this problem to the forefront.
Very little mention, if any, is made of our French Allies in connexion with
the Reprisals Order.
14. German Propaganda.
It is reliably reported that the leading German firms in Iran, viz., Siemens,
Krupp, A.E.G., Hochtiff, Undeutsch, Schliitter, Allianz Stuttgart, &c., subscribe
monthly sums to a fund under the supervision of the German Military Attache at
the German Legation. This fund is used for propaganda purposes, both in the
Iranian press and elsewhere. The German Press Attache, Herr Hans Aderholt
(late of Frankfurter Zeitung), has held his present appointment for over two
years. He is, in consequence, acquainted with Iranian press circles and actually
administers this fund. There is no doubt that a number of editors receive certain
allowances through the agents of Herr Aderholt. Since the war began, however,
strict censorship and control has been exercised over the press, and it is now not
so easy for the Germans to obtain publicity more than the Allies. German firms,
too, support by regular subscriptions for advertisements. Recently newsvendors
(see Intelligence Summary No. 23 (current), paragraph 11 (ii), have been shouting
false news. When questioned, they stated that they had orders to do so. It has
since been ascertained that certain newsvendors used to visit the firm of Schliitter.
Five newsvendors have now been arrested. Within the past ten days head-lines
have not been printed in any of the Iranian newspapers. Previously these head
lines contained a pro-German bias, and were often quite misleading to the
telegrams which followed.
15. Obituary.
On the 24th November the death took place in Tehran of his Excellency
Abdul Hussein Farman-Farmayan (Farman Farma), G.C.M.G. [Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade). (Military
Attache’s Personalities, No. 84; Foreign Office Personalities, No. 77). Born in
1857 at Qajar, deceased was a great-grandson of Path Ali Shah. Son-in-law and
brother-in-law of Muzaffar-ed-Din Shah. During the summer and autumn of
1915 he worked very hard on behalf of Britain and Russia against the Turks and
Germans. He was Premier from December 1915 until March 1916. He was
created G.C.M.G. [Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade). in July 1916.
The Farman Farma was of great assistance to the British whilst Governor-
General of Fars in 1916-20. Deceased leaves a family of over thirty children.
Except for the usual obituary notice, no mention has been made of his death in
the Iranian press.
H. J. UNDERWOOD, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Military Attache.
Tehran, November 4, 1939.