مجموعة ٨/٢٨ "بلاد فارس؛ اليوميات؛ سيستان وكاين، أبريل ١٩٢٧ – ١٩٣٣" [و‎‎١‎٦‎١] (٤٣٤/٣٣٢)

Russian Affaiks.
97. Reference paragraph 86.
Comrade Platte’s activities continue
both injudicious and ineffective. His
proteges may well exclaim “ Preserve us
from our friends ”. His championship of
Agha Sayid Ahmad’s cause in the election
struggle cost that worthy not only his
chance of victory, but his livelihood, for
it undoubtedly assisted Assadi in discredit
ing his rival, who had thrown up his
appointment under the Ministry of Educa
tion in order to stand for election. The
abortive attempt to start a reading-room
has already been mentioned. The Soviet
Consul's latest efforts have been directed
towards capturing the school itself for
Bolshevism. The acting schoolmaster,
M. Waliullah Khan has been a supporter
of the Russian cause for some time. Nor
long ago Comrade Platte informed the
Acting Governor casually at a call that he
proposed to visit the school and present it
with some furniture. The Acting Gover
nor told him that he should first ask per
mission to do so, but the Consul without
further reference to the authorities went
to the school on 16th Septeml e.’ by
arrangement with M. Waliullah and pre
sented the following articles among others :
a globe, a counter (? abacus), a chart
showing the evolution of the aeroplane
up to date and a chart showing the
various processes in the cultivation and
manufacture of cotton. At the same
time he delivered an address t(\ the
boys through an interpreter in which he
suggested their corresponding through
him wit'n the pupbs of the high school at
Polterask (Askabad). The Acting
Governor has reported the incident to
Tehran.
98. The following foreigners resident
in Sistan are in regular communication
with the Soviet Consulate : —
Seth Fida Husain, brother of Seth
Taiyab Ali, head of the notorious firm of
Mohd. Ali Bros, and first cousin of Ghulam
Abbas lately convicted in the “ Karachi
Coining Case. 1 ’ (Cf. Diary for January,
paragraph 7.) Tins person occupies large
premises next to the British Consulate.
Stepanian, Armenian clerk in charge
; of the Indo-European Telegraph Depart-
| ment Office at Sistan, whose removal
His Majesty’s Consul has been trying to
I secure for nearly a year. Stepanian is
heavily in debt and is assiduously drink
ing himself to death, partly at any rate
at Soviet expense. Needless to say, no
telegrams of any importance, cypher or
othenv;, e, have been despatched through
him foi many months by this office.
Loss of British Passports.
19. Three cases of loss of passports by
British Indian holders since April last
have been reported to the Government of
India, and a separate reference has been
made to His Majesty’s Legation and the
Government of India on the subject of
the probable connection between these
losses and the Soviet organization w r hich
is known to exist for the supply of forged
and stolen passports to agents bound for
foreign countries. In one of the cases
the owner alleged that his premises,
w hich are close to the Soviet Consulate,
were burgled and the passport stolen,
together with Krans CO in cash. In
another case a motor driver stated that
while he was resting at Shusp in the
middle of the day a trunk containing his
passport and other valuables w r as abstracted
from his lorry in the street out ide. Only
tw r o losses of passports had previously
been reported during the five years which
have clasped since the Ind'aa passport
system wms appbed to this o .te, and this
combined with the fact that HP, Majesty’s
Consul General, Meshed has also reported
the loss of three British Passports by
their owners during the past summer,
makes it at least probable that a “ Hidden
Hand ” is at wmrk.
100. Reference paragraph 86.
It has been ascertained that one of th.3
d i e s of the Sarkaniantz mail lorrie;
on the Meshed-Duzdap road is a brother
of Yarbekoff, the (Armenian) Attache
at the Soviet Consulate. The contractor,
at the instance no doubt of the C onsul,
is endeavouring to get his contract extend
ed to include Sistan. If he succeeds,
he will find that he has bitten off more
than he can chew 7 , for the “ road in
Sistan is so bad that his Benz Lorries, at
the pace they are usually driven, will be
knocked to pieces in a very short time.
Even on the comparatively good Duzdap-
Meshed road he has having a great deal
of trouble, owing entirely to the reckless
manner in which the lorries are driven.
101. The following suspects are report
ed from Duzdap :—
Sarqol Mohammad Khan .—Arrived
from Sistan 5th September. _ Put up at
the house of a Persian prostitute named
Zarin Taj, who herself came from Tehran