Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎318r] (635/807)

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Russian Affairs.
Russian Troops.
20 . The discipline of the Russian troops in the vicinity of Tehran is
deteriorating. Many authentic cases have come to notice of persons being
“'^"Vaylaid and robbed by armed Russian soldiers and of houses being broken into.
21. The Russian troops continue to make it impossible for the Persian
authorities to maintain order. The police and gendarmerie in all the area
occupied by Russian troops are still without arms. In one instance a party of
gendarmerie in pursuit of highway robbers entered the Russian zone, were
disarmed and the robbers allowed to escape. In another, a Persian military patrol
sent out to round-up deserters was disarmed by villagers while Russian troops
looked on.
22 . It is reported from many sources, although it cannot be accepted as
entirely confirmed, that all captured Persian war material of value is being
removed to Russia. Much of this material fell into Russian hands after the
armistice.
23. Although it may not be possible to convict the Russians of deliberately
conducted propaganda, every Russian soldier talking to a Persian peasant is a
propagandist and finds in most cases a ready healing.
24. The Russian military authorities have recently issued an order that no
one is allowed to enter the Russian occupied zone without a pass signed by a
competent Russian authority. This order applies equally to British officers in
uniform.
25. The Russians have confiscated all goods in the Tabriz customs-house on
the pretext that they are of German origin. The goods are, in fact, mostly the
property of Persian merchants who have made at least part-payments for them.
They have also confiscated all the cars—about 200—mostly of private ownership,
which had been requisitioned by the Persian authorities for the transport of the
German and Italian Legations and German women and children to the Turkish
frontier.
French Interests.
26. The French Legation have been warned unofficially that it is the
intention of the Persian, British and Soviet Governments to close down the French
Legation here as long as it is occupied by Vichy officials.
27. Captain Florent. of the Free French Headquarters at Beirut, recently
visited Tehran on a special mission in connexion with the reorganisation of the
Free French here and the dissemination of propaganda. Captain Florent is a
Roman Catholic priest and a Russian expert, formerly domiciled in Leningrad
and now serving on General Catroux’s staff.
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Greek Interests.
28. Now that work on the Trans-Iranian railway extensions has ceased. Id*? kx>I‘&€£*%
many Greek volunteers wish to join the Greek forces in Egypt. It is hoped that'kjvi*
a Greek officer will shortly visit Persia in this connexion.
Yugoslav Interests.
29. A Yugoslav officer will shortly visit Tehran in connexion with the
enlistment of Yugoslav volunteers.
Czechoslovak Interests.
30. The considerable Czechoslovak community in Persia is very much
broken up by endless quarrelling and petty intrigues among themselves. A
Communist party among the specialists employed by Messrs. Skoda’s has also
appeared. The arrival in Tehran of official representatives of the Czechoslovak
Government in London is awaited, when harmony will perhaps be more or less
restored among the Czechs.