مجموعة ٨/٢٨ "بلاد فارس؛ اليوميات؛ سيستان وكاين، أبريل ١٩٢٧ – ١٩٣٣" [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٥] (٤٣٤/٢٤١)

The Amir-i-Lashkar was expected at
Duzdap at the end of the month and was
said to be about to carry out a tour of
inspection to Kwash and Sarbaz.
On the night of the 5/6th February
the shop of an Indian trader at Mirjawa
was broken into and a sum of Ts. 71
stolen. The matter was reported to the
Amnieh Officer at Mirjawa and he traced
the footsteps of the thief to the Military
barracks. On arrival there the Comman
dant of the troops refused to allow him
to continue his investigations. The
matter has been brought to the notice of
the General Officer Commanding. Petty
thefts from Railway officials and of
railway material have been going on for
some time at Mirjawa. When His
Majesty’s Consul was on tour there in
January, the Station Master reported
that some soldiers had entered the
railway coal store and, in spite of his
remonstances, had removed two bags of
coal. His Majesty’s Consul caused the
Amnieh Officer to make immediate
enquiries, and as a result the Non-
Commissioned Officer in charge (His
Officer was absent at Duzdap) confessed
that two of his men had removed the
coal and it was immediately brought
back.
Soviet Activities.
16. The Soviet Consul at Sistan
left Tehran on February 5th. It is
believed that he has been transferred.
It has previously been reported that he
was not on good terms with the Vice-
Consul. Of the three ladies of the
Russian Consulate, one only is said to be
the wife of an official. The other two
are stated to be secret service agents
whose duty it is to make independent
reports on the activities of the officials.
Gonioff, the Vice-Consul, who is now
in charge is reported to be a very keen
communist. He is reported to have
said to the local Governor that in pre-war
days the British consulate had always
reported badly about him (the Governor)
whereas the Russians had always sup
ported him, and were prepared to
continue to do so. The Governor is
alleged to have replied that under the
changed conditions in Persia and in
view of the Political changes which had
since taken place in Russia, he attached
no importance to such matters.
The Soviet Vice-Consul has been
recently interviewing a person known to
this consulate and questioned him closely
about affairs in India. He read to him
an article in a Russian paper violently
attacking British Administration in
India. My informant asked him how
such an article was possible in view of
the recent agreement with His Majesty'*'
Government for the cessation of hosti^
propaganda. The Vice-Consul is stated
to have laughed and remarked “ We do
not attach any importance to that, in
fact we consider it will be but a short
time until diplomatic relations be again
broken ”.
No attempt has been made by the
Soviet Vice-Consul to resume official
relations with this Consulate, although it
is known that the Vice-Consul realises
that he should call and has heard of
the calls exchanged at Meshed.
The Governor of Sistan informed a
member of this Consulate that the
Russians intend to entirely rebuild their
Consulate here and had received sanction
to the expenditure of Ts. 4,000 for the
purpose. He had seen the plans of the
proposed new building. The Soviet
Vice-Consul was recently seen taking
photos, from a distance, of His Majesty’s
Consulate.
The Sistan market is new full of
Russian piecegoods, but they no longer
appear to be popular and the merchants
are experiencing difficulty in disposing
of their stocks. A great deal of trade in
such goods is for export to Afghanistan
and owing to disturbed conditions
there and the rise in the cost of living,
very few Afghans visit Sistan for trade
purposes.
Persian Officials.
17. The Reis-i-Adlieh, Duzdap, is
reported to be about to visit Sistan,
and to intend to open an office here.
Afghan Affairs.
18. A band of Afghan marauders
carried out an extensive raid into
Kain. The Persian Consul at Herat
is said to have protested energetically
and as a result a good deal of looted
property has been recovered.
The Afghan Consul, Sistan, is still
without orders or funds, but states that
he has seen a circular from the Afghan
Foreign Office in which his appointment
as Consul was confirmed. The Governor