Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎235r] (469/807)

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News is given in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, French, Russian, English and
German. The Turkish, French and German announcers are women.
Loud-speakers have been erected in several of the squares in Tehran, which
attract large audiences.
The Tehran radio does not stick strictly to its published time-table. A news
"^bulletin may begin before the advertised time if the preceding item has been
short. The order of items are altered too without announcement.
The English and French bulletins consist entirely of Havas and Reuters news
items with an occasional neutral one. The German bulletin consists equally
entirely of D.N.B. telegrams.
Steps are being taken to have this station’s programmes regularly monitored.
9. German Interests.
(i) The German military attache, Major von Geldern Crespandorff, carried
out a reconnaissance in the Kermanshah area on the 23rd and 24th April. He
visited the Kermanshah aerodrome and was later seen near the Qara Su bridge
close to the Kermanshah Petroleum Company’s refinery, where he spent some
minutes gazing at the plant.
(ii) A Dr. Erwin Gauba, employed at the agricultural farm at Karej, has
openly stated that he is resigning in the autumn to take up a post as an
agricultural expert in one of the German colonies Avhich will have been restored
to Germany by that time.
(iii) Considerable numbers of Germans are now in Tehran. In spite of the
assurance of the Minister for Foreign Affairs that it is extremely difficult to
obtain visas, it is apparent that in practice the police grant visas freely to
Germans.
(iv) Several Iranian motor firms have been importing cars of German make.
These are 30 “ Wanderer,” 10 D.K.W. (two-stroke, front wheel drive), and
30 Mercedes-Benz.
10. Irano-Soviet Commercial Agreement.
It is reliably reported that there are 14 million marks’ worth of German goods
for Iran held up at Batum. The Soviet authorities state that they have no
transport available. It is also said that 20 million marks’ worth of goods are
ready at factories in Germany, but no transport can be arranged.
The Iranians are not exporting anything to Russia, except against imports.
Recently editorials have been published in the official press, complaining that
goods are not being delivered, and stating that if a country under one pretext
or another could not furnish Iran with the goods she needed according to agree
ments made, that country could not expect Iran to turn to it for such goods as she
required. It is considered that these press attacks are directed in the main
against Russia.
It has been asserted that the commercial treaty was accompanied by an agree
ment placing Iranian landing-grounds at the disposal of Soviet Russia in certain
circumstances. Such an agreement would be no new thing, since it would only
be a particular application of the right accorded to Russia under article 6 of the
Russo-Persian Treaty of the 26th February, 1921, to send forces into Persia if a
third Power should introduce forces into Iran to make it a base of operations
against Russia. At the time of the signature of the commercial treaty, both
Russia and Germany were very anxious about the possibility of the Baku oil
fields being bombed.
Within the past ten days there are strong rumours that the Soviet have been
pressing the Imperial Government (1) to reduce the Iranian army to a strength
sufficient to maintain internal security only; ( 2 ) to stop the further purchase of
armaments abroad; (3) to provide in writing for the use of aerodromes; (4) to give
up their friendship with the Turks. It is said that the Shah left suddenly for
Mazanderan to avoid having to reply to these demands.
11 . Safjbdabad Pact.
On the occasion of the birthday of the young King of Iraq, the Tehran press
published very friendly articles, with references to the Saadabad Pact. This was
something new, as for a long while the Iranian Government had been afraid to
mention it, and when M. Sarajoglou went to Moscow they even wired to their