File 52/1912 Pt 1 'Persia Diaries' [‎249r] (502/900)

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Diary of the Military AuacftETivfefftM, fro. 41, for the week ending 26th October
Communications.
Railways.
523. Projected Khiva Railway. —Engineer Kovalovski’s plans for a line
ftom Charjui to Kungrad are now under consideration at St. Petersburg.
524. TashJcend Railway. —In order to deal with the heavy autumn and win
ter traffic, trains will be despatched, at an interval of 20 minutes, on the section
Aris-Kazalinsk. At night flares, calculated to burn 20 minutes, will be used to
regulate traffic. The weight of trains for this section has been fixed at 967 tons,
i. e.y 54 wagons.
Administration.
525. Native Affairs in Trans-Caspia. —Representatives of the native popu
lation assemble annually at Ashkabad for three weeks or a month for the discussion
of questions affecting native interests, the settlement of tribal disputes, etc. A
Russian official acts as President; in recent years he has been assisted by Lieutenant-
Colonel Yuzbashinski, 18th Turkistan Rifles, a Sunni Muhammadan (Tartar)
of the Caucasus, who has a good knowledge of Turki, of Muhammandan law,
and of Turkoman and Kirghiz customs.
The mullahs still oppose the opening of schools in which Russian is taught
to native children.
History.
526. Reported outbreak of plague. —The Russian doctor sent to Turbat-i-
Sheikh-Jam has reported the presence of plague, said to have been brought from
Afghanistan, in certain villages. A Plague Committee is being formed at Meshed,
and Cossacks and Persian troops are to be sent to isolate the infected villages.
Military.
527. Appointment. —Lieutenant-General Vakhlovski, from the Artillery
School, is appointed to command the artillery of the Turkistan Military District
vice Lieutenant-General Skorobogatov, placed on the retired list.
528. Non-Russian officers. —Colonel Yuzbashinski [see paragraph 525 above)
estimates that there are from 12 to 15 Muhammadan officers in the 2nd Turkistan
Army Corps and about 20 more serving in the Caufcasus Military District.
Of these, 3 or 4 are Turkoman and the majority of the remainder Caucasian
Muhammadans (Tartars, Lesghians, etc.). Considerable feeling still exists in the
Caucasus against a Muhammadan receiving a Russian education and entering
Russian Government service. This feeling is due, in part, to racial and poli
tical dislike of the Russians and, in part, to a fear, sometimes justified by events,
that a man who takes Government employment will eventually become Christian.
Muhammadan Officers of the Russian Army pass through the Military schools
and cadet corps in the ordinary way and are in all respects on an equality with
their Russian comrades. They usually adopt Russian manners of life, while
retaining their religion. The number of Armenian officers in Turkistan regiments
also appears to be considerable. The Colonel commanding the 18th Turkistan
Rifles and the staff officers of the Merv (4th Turkistan Rifles) Brigade are of this
race.
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