Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎78r] (156/1237)

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willing to sell* As I haci not seen the property in question I took
the opportunity of this visit to go there on the second afternoon of
my stay* In my conversation with the Soviet Vice-Consul I mentioned
my intention and he immediately said he would come with me* Father
Fi'ans&en and one of his Chaldean priests also accompanied rae* The
property is in the village of Sir, on the hills about four miles west
Hezaieh* There is a track, Just passable for ordinary saloon cars,
to the village of Haiderlu from which Sir, about a mile further up the
mountain, can only be reached on foot or horseback. I found that Mr.
Hashimov had. thoughtfully sent one of hie people ahead in a Jeep to
prepare the ground for us - and the preparations included a generous
afternoon tea in Haiderlu. Sir is a pretty and fertile spot watered
by three springs of excellent water. The property of the British
Mission consists of a plot of about half an acre, as near as I could
Judge, on the upper side of the village. The house is completely *
ruined, being no more than a mound of nibble. The garden is overgrown
and neglected, but I saw a few vines which appeared to be bearing. The
plot is bounded by a dry-stone wall in poor repair. I spoke with the
caretaker, one of the Chaldean villagers of Sir, who also looks after
the cemetery of the American Presbyterian Mission. If I understood
him rightly (he spoke Chaldean which the priest translated into French)
he had his instructions from Captain Bead in Baghdad, but since the war
had received no money for his services. These, however, are not
extensive, and he has the use of the garden and its vines. I also
visited the grave of Newton Worrall, His Majesty*s Consul at Tabriz from
1923 to 1925 , who died at Hezaieh on April 30th, 1925 * The grave, in
a comer of the American cemetery, is overgrown with grass and young
elm trees two or three feet high, but the stone is in good condition,
not weathered at all, and the inscription looks almost new. The
boundary wall of the cemetery is in good repair and there is no access
for cattle.
IQ. I should include in my remarks on Rezaieh the feeling I had all
tne time of being,, if not in protective custody, at least under
surveillance. As regards myself and my munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. , the surveillance of
our movements by the Soviet authorities was exercised tactfully, even
pleasantly. I camot attribute the Vice-Consul*s company at Sir to
sheer affection* it was only the second time I had seen him, and,
though he has had three opportunities, in Bezaieh and Tabriz, to return
my official visits to him, he has never done so. Normally, of course,
one would look for no other motive than the pleasure of the outing, but
after a year’s experience of Soviet Azerbaijani officials I am inclined
to think that they do really believe the fantastic reports that
circulate about the British Consul’s intrigues among Kurds, reactionaries
and other “anti-Soviet eleraents 1 ’ - that is. of course, if they do not
put about the reports themselves. A cousin of my Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. came in for
more direct treatment. He was summoned to the office of the Acting
Town Commandant, Taghioff, (Safaroff, the Town Commandant, was away) and,
after being first threatened with what would happen to him if he
revealed what passed at the interview, was asked why the British Consul
had come to Re^aieh. When he said he did not know he was told to find
out from my interpreter. I instructed my interpreter to tell him the
truth; that my visit was part of a normal tour of my district and that
I had chosen to come by Rezaieh to find out from the Acting Governor-
General what accommodation he could arrange for me at Maku. When the
interpreter’s cousin told the Soviet officer this, the latter’s only com
ment was to tilt back his head in the gesture by which a Turk expresses
an emphatic negative. My interpreter, who is a native of Rezaieh, said
he found many of his old friends afraid to speak to him. One whom he
was going to approach on the street passed him without stepping, only
murmuring “I’m afraid of those men without honour” (“0 bisharaflar”).
20. I left Rezaieh on the morning of August 7th. I had not seen the
Captain of ray escort during the time I \,as in the town, though I had
asked the Soviet Vice-Consul to ask him to come and see me to arrange
the time of departure. He did not cone, but I thought there was little
/fear