Ext 5000/41(6) 'PERSIAN SITUATION: MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS' [‎160r] (319/920)

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FROM TABRIZ TO FOREIGN OFFICE. v^-rl
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Mr. Urquhart, D. 8.00 p.m. 16th Dscernher 1942
No. 61
16th December 1942
R. 1.15 p.m. 18th December 1942
Repeated to Tehran.
Apart from some fighting between groups of Kurds and
highway robberies in south-western Azerbaijan, the
situation quiet generally with no^strikes and prices
relatively steady. There is no sign of trouble such as
occurred in Tehran but the exhaustion of official stocks
of sugar, high cost of living and the fear that Azerbaijan
may be starved to feed Tehran constitute explosive
material which could be touched off easily<
2. Impending change of Governor-G-eneral in both provinces
and the recall of General Officer Commanding Persian troops
will probably halt the administration machine for some
time.
3* [? g^P* omitted ? According to] local expert opinion
Azerbaijan this year had a wheat plus barley surplus of
50,000 tons [grp. undec. ? which is] good but there is
resistance so far, mainly passive,to attempt to move it
south.
4. There are dumps of grain along the road but 1,500
United Kingdom Commercial Corporation lorries drove past
them in the last three months with 8.000 tons of tar and
[grp. undec. ? only] 46 tons of wheat. Recently they have
even gone empty there being no tar but are now carrying
tobacco.
ACo.lrOL. DEPt.I
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INDIA OFFICE The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.