Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎350r] (702/1237)

french Consulate. Before quitting the last tenant, a Polish Jew,
removed the oath and lavatory aa hie personal property but left the
1 electric bells as e gesture of friendship to the Puasians.
There is no doubt that the Puseieas are still trying to find
considerable auditionel soeotmnod*tion in Tabriz, both by requisition
ing and renting. Some of the houses taken *r* already occupied by
officers* families and others by women troops. Armenian families
are also letting rooias at high rentals. Occupants of reouiaitioned
houses have in aoiae cases been summarily ejected and have suffered
considerable hardship. In others appeals against ejection have met
with success. JUoh merchants having summer housea on the outskirts
of the town are busily re&oving windows and doors by night to
discourage the Thiasians from occupying then.
The Ueixikil crop of minor in clients has occurred. Two Persians,
former refugees from Soviet Russia, have been arrested for varioua
robberies which they perpetrated disguised aa Ruaalan officers. A
lereian ras been shot dema by Soviet soldiera while in the notion of
pillaging « lorry. T*fc Boviet soldiers have been beaten up for
assaulting a Moslem woman. Further complaints have also bean receiv
ed from thtfc villages about tree-felling for firewood. Vary places
nave been almost denuded.
06 . British Military Couvopc . Two convoys of about thirty truoka
each continue to arrive almost daily. The organisation at Tabriz
has been further improved by the separation of operational from
administrative duties. The former reviain in charge of Captain
Siuieeraon, while an Indian officer, Captain J/old, has arrived with
15 Indian other ranks to take over the staging nost arrangements.
The Indian oersonnel of the convoys are now comfortably housed
during their two nays stay here. They are also to be provideo with
cineiua performances and 0 canteen, winter on the convoy route is
particularly hard for these Indian troops, taaay of whom suffer
intensely from the cold, and the additional care for their well-being
at Tabriz and elsewhere on the route is a well-merited t’ewaro for
eood work under adverse conditions and should result in greater
efficiency. It is already resulting in improved discipline.
The dumps at Tabriz station have been elmost oorapletely
cleared curing the past three weeks and lorries are now being unloaded
with the utmost expedition, often direct into railway waggons. The
rolling stock pot?ition appears to have improved in a remarkable
Tn&n&jr and a number of captured ‘"Tench and German waggons have made
their welcome appearance.
Lieut.Col. Fdgell, commanding the 16th L. of C., paid a
visit of inspection to Tabriz from February 11th - l*th. He vras also
spending one night at each staging post on the route.
37. U.K.C.C. Convoys. Arrivals of U.K.C.C. trucks have somewhat
fallen off owing to a renewed partial diversion of traffic to Fahlevi.
Complaints continue to be rtetived by the locel manager of the
treatment raetetf out to drivers by Russian convoy personas! o.u the
route. Some of the stories are purest phantasy, one driver, for
example, reporting that the driver and mate of a contract truck had
been beheaded by Russian soldiers at Bostanabad and that a passing
British military convoy had witnessed the incident, arrested the
Russians and was bringing them uador military to Tabriz. It is
clear that many incidents trise out of accidents end, in reporting one
clear case to the Soviet Consul-General, it has been suggested that
there should be a clear understanding on both sides as to the correct
procedure to bt, followed in such cases. Colonel Schell has also
stated that his only complaint about the treatment of British military
convoys by Soviet personnel is the tendency of the latter to brandish
arms when accidents occur. He too would oe glad to see this question
of proper procedure settle:! a$ otherwise the forbearance of some
British drivers (vtic are likewise ar.u«ct, but more discreetly 30) may
be stretched to breaking point and serious Inoidenta ensue.
38. Azerbaijan Crain Situation. The fcrecaata of a delivery of
/l, 500