Coll 28/21 ‘Persia; Azerbaijan; Persia-Russian & Persia-Turkish Frontier.’ [‎417r] (833/845)

£ THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERN MENT,
PERSIA.
—
June 24, 1930.
CONFIDENTIAL.
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Section 9.
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Sir R. Clive to Mr. A. Henderson—(Received June 24.)
(No. 273.)
gi rj Gidhek, June 18, 1930.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 242 of the 3rd dune regarding the general
tension of Perso-Russian relations, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith
copies of three despatches from His Majesty’s consul at Tabriz regarding the
strained situation on the Azerbaijan frontier, including not only the Perso-Russian
frontier, but that somewhat undefined region in the neighbourhood of Mount Ararat,
where the Kurds have so often been a source of trouble. No mention of these events
has been allowed to appear in the press, and I understand that the Persian
Government are seriously concerned.
2 A telegram which was sent by Mrs. McGrath (Posita Forbes) on the
14th June to the “Daily Telegraph” via India was, however, allowed by the
Persian authorities to pass.
3. This telegram, of which the head of the Indo-Fairopean Telegraph Company
kindly sent me a copy, contains nothing that is not covered by Mr. Palmer’s
despatches.
I have, &c.
E. H CLIVE.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul Palmer to Sir R. Clive.
(No. 96. Confidential.)
gj r Tabriz, June 6, 1930.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith a preliminary memorandum which
attempts to analyse the actual situation in the Caucasus, Turkish Armenia, and
such Kurdish zones as lie within, or are contiguous to, the frontiers of Azerbaijan.
2. These three zones are, at the present moment, inextricably bound together
by common interests or through temporarily successful outside intrigue.
I have, &c.
STANHOPE PALMER.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum on the Situation across the Northern and Western Frontiers of
Azerbaijan.
Caucasus.
A SERIOUS attempt was made to organise a general revolution against the
Soviet system, and the mainspring of the movement was in the North Caucasus—
Baku and Daghestan. The plan was to start the revolt in the North Caucasus—not
in the south—and work progressively southwards till the River Araxes was reached.
This purely national movement, which I will call “ A,” was almost, if not quite,
independent of “ B,” the “ Musavat ” movement fostered from Turkey. Several
Turkish officers entered the Caucasus within the last few months upon propagandist
missions; and it is believed by many that the Nookly revolt (see below) may have
been led, or at least provoked, by such Turkish emissaries.
The “ Musavat ” movement has apparently lost ground recently, and Caucasian
Moslems are not at all inclined at present to favour annexation to Turkey; but now
only desire an independent Caucasian Republic.
2. The northern revolutionary group are alleged to have planned their rising
for April. But the Soviets had already begun to enforce their system of nationalising
land, crops and live-stock, and had for the first time believed themselves strong
enough to apply this regime to the Mahometans of the Caucasus.
[147 aa—9]
B