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4. Iranian Air Force.
A consular report from Meshed states that on the 1 st May two military
aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed. All four occupants were killed and
the machines completely wrecked. This is said to be the first fatal flying accident
to have occurred in Meshed. No mention of this accident has been made in the
press. The type of aircraft involved is as yet unknown.
5. Iranian Navy.
The port authorities at Bandar Shahpur are enforcing a regulation which
prohibits vessels carrying explosives for ports other than Bandar Shahpur from
berthing alongside the jetty with explosives on board. The Iranian naval
authorities insist on ships carrying explosives discharging the same into barges
before proceeding alongside and reloading after completing discharge. Ihis
regulation is causing extreme inconvenience to shipowners, and. moreover, the
discharge of explosives into barges with unskilled labour is a most dangerous
proceeding at any time.
Negotiations are now proceeding for the reversal of this order.
6 . Norwegian Interests.
Several Norwegian volunteers are shortly leaving Iran for Norway and
Sweden via U.S.S.R. Lieutenant Forde Halle, of the 11 th Norwegian Infantry
(Andalsnes), who applied to return to duty via England in April last, has not
yet left this country, as, it is stated, he is dissatisfied with the Allies for with
drawing from Norway. The Norwegian Consul-General hopes to persuade him
to return via U.S.S.R.
7. Polish Interests.
His Excellency Jan Karszo-Siedlewski, the Polish Minister, proceeded on
duty to Angers, France, via Beirut on the 20 th May.
8 . Danish Interests.
The Danish fishing vessel Grette Knoy'per, on a voyage to Bandar Abbas to
join the ships of the recently opened Iranian sardine factory An East India Company trading post. , has been declared
a prize and detained in Port Said. The vessel may later on be sold to the Iranian
Government. The ship’s papers did not show whether the purchase money had
been paid by the Imperial Government or not.
9. Japanese Interests.
Mr. Kichi Koasaki. an attache of the Japanese Legation, has formally
announced in the local press his conversion to Islam. He now bears the name
Abdullah. Mr. Koasaki speaks fluent Persian and Hindustani.
10. Soviet Interests.
(i) Several secret meetings have recently been held between the Shah, his
Ministers and the Soviet Ambassador. It is impossible to ascertain for certain
what is going on, but the subjects under discussion seem to be still connected with
( 1 ) the use of landing-grounds in Iran; (2) Iranian oil and possible expropriation
of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company properties in South Iran by the Imperial
Government with a view to their being handed over for exploitation later on to
the Soviets; (3) regulation of the right of entry into Iran of Soviet troops.
There are other demands, but these cannot be discovered for certain. Lately it
has been reported that the Soviet Ambassador has adopted an insistent, if not
threatening, attitude. If this is so, then it is considered most probable that the
Shah will in the end be forced to capitulate to all the Russian demands.
(ii) The first consignment of goods from Soviet Russia since the conclusion
of the commercial agreement has now reached Bandar Pahlavi. The consignment
includes iron sheets and girders.
(iii) According to a consular report from Tabriz, numerous troop trains
have been observed recently passing through Tiflis in the direction of Baku and
the south. Another report states that the Russian troops on the Caucasian
frontier have increased.