Coll 28/39 ‘Persia: Printed Correspondence 1929-1936’ [‎31v] (73/1174)

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i • oil fnvcj of civilization, trains, cars, aeroplanes, hospitals
"a “o toth the anoety to pi; y at bemg Europeans, U, wear
hats "and doff them to ladtes unveiled and all decked out in temmme finery
Th^average Iranian probates ^ 3 .^ person^on^a stage,^cUng
pretty-pretty Clothes. They are not yet fn touch with European reality,
and their imitation of us is accordingly artificial and roman ic.
' Time is the only cure, and the only way to meet these people is with
understanding and a sense of humour, a readiness to meet them halfway
bu“a step further. The worst possible, probably is to show obsequio
usness or undue deference, as to their great discomfiture the French and
Italians did to the incoming Kemalists at Smyrna m 1922. hoieigners
who bear these principles in mind appear to escape unduly severe vexations
but the obstacles to trade and the general suspiciousness effectively prevent,
for the present, any individual foreigner whatever his nationality from
acquiring any great influence either with the merchants or the officials,
he U reatened to do so he would quickly, like any Kurdish chieftain, have
his wine's clipped. Nevertheless the state is prepared to use the services of
foreigners, but only as salaried employees, liable to dismissal The Iran
of today is not a comfortable country for any but men of small calibre and
obedient dispositions, whether they be foreign or native. _
Internal (1) Minorities .—{a.) Assyrians. There are comparatively few
Assyrians in Tabriz and Eastern Azerbaijan, the main body being con
centrated in western Azerbaijan, and especially around Rezaieh. It is said
that possibly 50,000 fled when the Turks invaded that territory during the
war and that perhaps 30,000 returned. Such as brought arms back with
them have been disarmed. On the whole these people are by local
standards, prosperous. Many of them possess houses or vineyards or some
such stake in the country. They enjoy their possessions undisturbed by any
political cr racial animosity.
x\s regards religion, the Assyrians are not united. Many are Catho
lics, mam Protestant and some Orthodox. As for politics, they do not
appear to be politically minded as compared, for example, with the
The\ have many relatives in the U. S. A. and until the slump of 1929
they received important remittances. This proof of greater wealth . in
other countries, confirmed by the earnings of the menfolk in the Levies,
by the lavish distribution of relief at the end of the war and, more recently,
the concern shown for Assyrians at Geneva, have unsettled this minority
and made it discontented with its prospects in Iran. This phase, pre
sumably, will pass as they come to realise that for the mass of them there
is no hope of translation to a better land. Meantime, although they are
carefully watched and their movements controlled by the Iranian autho
rities, they appear to be otherwise treated on a footing of equality with
their Moslem neighbours.
(b) Armenians. The territory south-east of Mount Ararat was former
ly thickly populated with Armenians, but there are few of them now in
the extreme north-west of Azerbaijan are along the Aras. They are dis
persed through the two provinces and Tabriz contains, a strong colony,
headed by the archbishop. They are found also in strength in Maragha,
Mianduab and Pezaieh, while many of the Karadagh villages are Arme
nian. Apart from a few rich families, the majority are of the peasant or
artisan classes. They live peacefully and are not molested by the Moslems.
They are eligible for service in government departments. The archbishop,
supreme in his flock, is treated with respect by the authorities and appears
to have successfully gained their confidence. His declarations, it is said,
are accepted at their face value; he is an honoured guest at official recep
tions.
The Armenians have an aptitude for political intrigue. Here they
are divided into two parties, Dashnag and Hinchag. The first is conserva-
tbe and at present tends to concern itself with the culture of the race, its