NAZI PROPAGANDA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1941, Page 5

NAZI PROPAGANDA

ATTEMPTS TO STIR UP UNREST ASSURANCES OF COMING SUPPORT. WINTER CAMPAIGN IN RUSSIA. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, August 24. There are nearly 2000 Germans in Iran, and nearly all of these are in key positions in the railways, power plants, post offices, war industries, and engineering projects or are serving the German Legation in Teheran. Reporting this, the Cairo correspondent of “The Times” says that all are extremely active propagandists and are undermining British interests. The primitive country districts in Iran are quiet, but there is a ferment of speculation and activity in the towns, specially Teheran. A close watch is being kept on foreigners. Soldiers are being recruited everywhere. The army is estimated at 100,000 men, armed with Swedish, British, Japanese and German weapons. Iran

possesses some tanks and about 100 planes, mostly British. Lately there has been a big influx of German goods; for instance, machinery and spare parts and also rifles, which are exchanged for sugar, wheat and hides. These are being sent by ships in the Black Sea. German agents have penetrated far down the Persian Gulf, ' chiefly to Bushire and the Indian border. The Germans in Teheran are putting out the story, “We have still got two months of good campaigning weather in the Ukraine, and we will be well across the Dnieper early in September. The German Black Sea fleet and Luftwaffe, operating from new bases on, the Black Sea coast, will simultaneously appear at Batum and cut off the Russians. Starid fast in Iran for only a few weeks longer, and we will be in Teheran to help you. In any case, we are already preparing a winter campaign so that there will not be any slackening in our advance toward Iran.” Step by step as the Germans approach their pressure on the Teheran Government is increasing, and barter agreements similar to those which were forced on Turkey are dangled before Iran.