Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎279r] (557/807)

(iii) During the latter half of December a contract for the delivery of
30,000 tons of wheat was signed by the Government of India with the Imperial
Government. 7,400 tons have already been delivered at Bandar Shahpur. This
will do much to relieve the present bread shortage throughout the country.
(iv) Following the discussions which have lasted seven years, (!), H.I.M. the
Shah has now agreed to sell 500 tons of boxwood to Messrs. Gardner and Sons
(Limited) of Liverpool at £31 per ton f.o.b.
(v) The United Kingdom Commercial Corporation have made a good
beginning by purchasing 60 tons of silk cocoons which the Germans much wanted
to secure. They are making enquiries about a number of other products.
7. French Interests.
The French Legation at Kabul have been making enquiries in Feh ran about
engaging a W/T operator. They have approached one A. Bethlehem, a pensioner
of the Indo-European Telegraph Department.
8. German Interests.
(i) Officials of the German Legation have recently been busying themselves
repairing the gravestones and graves of Germans buried in Iran. The remains
of a former Prussian Minister Resident in Iran, Freiherr von Minutoli (born 1805,
died 1860), were exhumed in Shiraz and reburied in Tehran Protestant Cemetery
at Akbarabad on the 23rd December, 1940, in the presence of the German
Minister.
(ii) There is evidence that the Germans are taking an increasing interest m
the Semnan-Meshed-Gurgan-Turkestan area.
(iii) General-Lieutenant Koestring, military attache at Moscow, arrived in
Tehran during the latter part of December. He visited Isfahan and left Tehran
for Moscow on the 7th January.
(iv) At a New Year reception at the “ Brown House.' the German Minister
ordered his compatriots to avoid contact with Italians. This may be possibly in
order to maintain German influence here and show that they are not co-operating
with the Italians in their rash schemes.
9. Italian Interests.
(i) It is reported that a quantity of large cases have recently been transported
from Bandar Pahlevi to Bandar Shahpur for the Italian steamers interned in
that port (steamship Bronter, a tanker, steamship Barbara, steamship Caboto).
Coal and paint have also been sent to Bandar Shahpur.
(ii) His Majesty’s Government have authorised the Panamanian steamship
Eureka to proceed to Assab (Eritrea) via Aden to collect the Iranian cargo from
steamship A rabia (Lloyd Triestino), which had taken refuge there at the declara
tion of war by Italy. The Iranian Government have sent a minor official
(M. Amir Arsalan Kamyab), of the Ministry of Finance, to take delivery on
behalf of the Iranian Government and to check the cargo, as confidential infor
mation has been received that some of this has been damaged by British air raids
on the port, and also that the Italians themselves have requisitioned all the sugar
therein. The Shah is personally interested in the cargo at Assab, as it is said
to contain expensive war material, as well as goods belonging to himself and
H.I.H. the Crown Prince. The Iranian Government are paying over £40,000 to
charter the Eureka.
(iii) Propaganda literature, Giornale d’Oriente, published in Cairo, and the
pamphlet A/ii Servo Italia, have recently been successfully distributed among
Italians throughout Iran. Some was introduced into the Casa d’ltalia in Tehran,
where an acrimonious discussion of the contents took place before the Fascist
officials were able to seize the papers.
10. U.S.S.R. Interests.
Work on the Baku-Julfa Railway along the left bank of the Aras River is
proceeding slowly. The point reached is about 33 miles north-east of Ordubad
near Mejevan (M.S. l.C.l), where much tunnelling and bridging work is required.
Ballast is being placed on the Julfa-Ordubad section, but the rails are still
awaited.
[15—10] b 2