File 566/1921 ‘Persia: military Attaché’s intelligence summaries’ [‎13v] (35/818)

5 per cent, of pay.
10 per cent, of pay.
20 per cent, of pay.
Tehran.
8. M. Shumvatski is due to leave Tehran for Moscow within the next two or
three days. It is reported that M. Postoukhov, who is Chief of the Eastern Section
in the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs at Moscow, is to replace M. Simmy a s
as Russian Minister at Tehran. M. Apresov, the Russian consul-general at
Meshed, a notorious Armenian Communist, has come to Tehran, and will act q
Russian Charge d’Affaires until the new Minister arrives. td •
9. Considerable discontent exists amongst the Russian Soviet omcials in Persia
owing to the enforced deductions made from their salaries by the Soviet authorities
These are reported to include :—
(a.) Subscription to £C Tarcheika ” ...
(6.) Subscription to fund for famine-
stricken
(c.) Subscription to Red Air Fleet
Added to this, each official has been forced during September to purchase a
Soviet Government Loan Bond at a cost of 60 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
10. The Russo-Persian Bank (Koshtaria) has arranged to import 2 million
tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. in silver from Russia under an agreement with the Persian Government that
12 per cent, import duty shall be paid to the latter.
11. M. Hannibal, who is Koshtaria’s private secretary, has left Tehran for
Germany to undertake certain confidential commissions on behalf of Koshtaria.
12. A Russian Communist named Ivchenko arrived in Tehran on the
20th September from Russia, He has been sent to be the chief secret political agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
for the Russian Legation in Tehran. He was last in Tehran in 1921 as a secretary
in the Russian consulate.
13. On the 24th September a new daily Armenian Communist newspaper made
its appearance in Tehran, named tc Banvor ” ( £c Workman ,, ). The editor is an
Armenian Communist named Tseron. Price : 10 shais a copy. It is printed in the
pro-Russian printing office, “ Bosfor,” and is subsidised by the Russian Legation.
14. A report, as yet unconfirmed, has been received that Colonel Ismail Khan,
the Persian military representative in Berlin, has purchased six aeroplanes for the
Persian army.
15. Fewer anti-British articles have appeared in the press during the past
week. An example of the usual type appearing in the Russian subsidised news
papers is given in the Appendix.*
work as propaganda agents
Isfahan.
16. The following three Persians in Isfahan
employed by the Russian consul-general, M. Tardov
Fatullah Khan Yazir Zadeh ... Pay, 80 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a month.
Aga Sheikh Muhammad Hussein ... Pay, 80 tomansi a month.
Dr. Hassan Khan ... ... Pay, 70 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a month.
17. The War Minister, whilst in Isfahan, visited the ordnance depot of the
division and gave orders for repairs to be carried out at once on the large number
of unserviceable saddles, rifles, equipment, &c., lying there. He also gave orders
for winter clothing to be prepared for the men of the Southern Division.
Luristan.
18. The War Minister has decided to carry out a scheme this winter for
disaiming the Luis and for strengthening the control of the Central Government
both civil and military, over Luristan, a province that has been in a lawless state
for very many years. He proposes to move a force of about 4,000 regular troops to
Khprremabad after the winter has set in, when the Lur tribesmen have migrated to
their winter quarters in the low country bordering Irak. In the spring when the
Lurs commence to return to their summer quarters, this force will take up a line
occupying the passes which the tribes must cross, and will attempt to disarm them as
they pass through. The War Minister estimates obtaining 30,000 rifles from the
Lurs by this means.
M. SAUNDERS, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Tehran, September 29, 1923. Military Attache.
Not printed.