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dynamite and money for the contractors. The programme is now very much
behindhand.
(ii) Qum-Kashan-Yezd .—This branch line is complete except for the laying
of rails, which are en route from the United States.
6 . French Interests.
(i) On the 9th July his Excellency M. Jean Helleu, the French Minister, left
for Angora, where he has been appointed ambassador. M. Jacques Coiffard is
acting as charge d’affaires.
(ii) Two young French officers, MM. R. Flottes and Gilbert Bachelet, have
arrived in Tehran, via Moscow, having escaped from a German prison camp
between Hamburg and Liibeck. They are at present remaining in Tehran
recovering from their experiences.
7. German Interests.
There are indications that during the first days of the Russo-German war
the Germans in Iran made preparations to leave, probably because they feared
that the Russians and the British would take some action against them. It is
said that about the 2nd July they received the order to stand fast.
8 . U.S.S.R. Interests.
(i) On the 5th July M. Andre Smirnoff, the new Soviet Ambassador, was
received in audience by His Imperial Majesty the Shah at the Gulistan Palace
and presented his letters of credence. Unlike his predecessor, who was obviously
a figure-head, M. Smirnoff is clearly an executive official. He has had diplomatic
experience in Germany and elsewhere, and speaks very good German. He appears
to want to co-operate with His Majesty’s Legation.
(ii) Colonel Vasili Alexandrov, Red Army Tank Corps and military attache
at Tehran, left Tehran on the 2nd July for active service.
(iii) Colonel Mastoff, the new Soviet Military Attache, arrived in Tehran
on the 9th July, and immediately established contact with the British
Military Attache.
(iv) His Majesty’s Government are examining the possibility of transit trade
with the U.S.S.R. via Iran.
9. Hungarian Interests.
On the 30th June the Hungarian Minister, his Excellency Bela de Szent
Istvany, died suddenly from heart failure.
10. Iraqi Interests.
, T . W ^h July his Excellency Baud Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. al Haidari, the new Iraqi
.Minister, was received in audience by the Shah at the Gulistan Palace,
and presented his letters of credence.
(ii) Rashid Ali, the ex-Mufti of Jerusalem, and the other Iraqi refugees
continue to reside in lehran. Ihey are frequently seen in public.
11. Iranian Press.
On the 9th July the Iranian press published an article
Technicians employed in Iran’s Industry and Commerce”
the following numbers and nationalities employed •—
entitled ” Foreign
This article shows
“ English ”
Russians .
Germans .
Italians
Czechs
Swiss
Greeks
Yugoslavs
2.590
390
690
310
180
70
260
140
The Prime Minister informed His Majesty’s Minister that the object t
he Imperial Go\eminent in publishing these figures was to correct exaggerate
reports in the foreign press that there were 5,000 or 10,000, or 25,000, Germai
m I ran - Put there is no doubt that the Imperial Government also wished 1