'File No. II/12 Foreign Dept Memoranda of Information re: affairs in Persia and Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf. Jan '09 --' [‎37r] (73/178)

(Paragraph 1
Situation in Azerbaijan.
Early
Marend was captured by the
subsequently threatened Julfa.
ing villages were burnt and
inhabitants taking refuge on an
of the Memorandum
for March 1909.)
in March
Royalists who
The surround-
pillaged, the
island in the
river as the Russians refused them asylum.
At Tabriz itself during the month of March
the situation has passed from bad to worse
and the suffering among the poorer classes has
been very great, many deaths from starvation
taking place. The city has been controlled
by an assembly which is divided by dissen
sions. On the 28th March, it was estimated
that only three weeks’ provisions remained,
and it was rumoured that an attack on
a foreign Consulate had been projected in
order to force on intervention. The military
were opposed to any attempts to treat for peace,
though a section of the nationalists were will
ing to do so. The correspondent of the “ Daily
News,” Mr. Moore, is reported to have joined
the nationalists on 1st April, his example
being followed by a leading member of the
American Mission.
On 4th April, the Royalists for the first
time shelled the town of Tabriz causing some
casualties among non-combatants and damage
to buildings, and on the 6th Mr. Wratislaw
reported that a relieving force from Salmas
had reached Dizakhalil.
On the 20th April, an imminent attack
on the Consulates at Tabriz by the famished
population being apprehended by the British
and Russian Consuls, the two Representatives
demanded a truce and leave to introduce
provisions. The Shah consented to a six days'
truce. However, as the Shah's Generals
did nothing to facilitate the entry of food,
and the situation again became acute,
a Russian force of 2,000 men crossed the
frontier. The troops received orders to guard
the entry of provisions by the Julfa road, and
to abstain from interference in the struggle.
The Shah subsequently ordered a cessation
of hostilities and facilities to be provided
for the introduction of food into the town.
Throughout
Situation at Ettht.
March, Caucasians from
Russia appear to have
been constantly arriving
at Resht. The reinforcement to the Consular
guard the despatch of which had already been
reported {vide paragraph 1 of Memorandum
for March) is said to have arrived at Resht
on the 22nd March.
Sir A. Nicolson telegraphed on the 7th
April that he had received a memorandum from
the Russian Government in which it was stated
that, because of the increasing alarm in North
ern Persia, and because the measures taken
up to the present to prevent the passage of