Coll 28/112B Persia. Tabriz. Monthly dispatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan, & misc: reports.’ [‎95r] (190/451)

"oamitteefor the elections was nevertheless formed in Tabriz,) cons is ting of
nine persons, members of the party or individualsj dafin^ely sympathetic
towards it, and they set about preliminary arrangements for the appointment
of sub-conaiittees although they decided rt to keep within the laW* by taking
^10 active steps until the Prime Minister authorised the holding of elections
In other parts of Persia.
163. vatters came to a head on December 9th when the Oovemor-Ceneral
received a telegram from the Prime Minister saying that Central Ooverronent
troops in Zenjan had been ordered to proceed into Azerbaijan to keep order
during the elections and that if thev were resisted they would heat down all
opposition, panic seized upon the democrat Party especially when the news
from the front confirmed their worst fears, namely that the Azerbaijan forces
were deserting wholesale. The Party leaders made preparations for flight
while the citizens of Tabriz eagerly awaited the arrival of the Tehran troops
By the morning of December 11th Fishevari and many other prominent democrats
had disappeared from the scene. Hie Governor-General and Ghabiatary (Presi
dent of the provincial Council) remained, however, and telegraphed to the
toah and to the Prime Minister that a special meeting of the Council had
decided to withdraw all opposition to the entry into th* T 'rovince of the
Central Government forces, to avoid useless bloodshed and to remove the mis
understandings between Tabriz and Tehran. Biriya, Chatman of the Trades
Unions Council, who had also stayed behind, announced this to the citizens
of Tabriz later in the day.
JL64. While this news afforded the greatest satisfaction to the people,
they realised that only the speedv entry of the Persian forces into Tabriz
were
would check the lawlessness and disorder which / the inevitable result of
the disappearance of all responsible authority. The Governor-General, who
was heartily disliked on account of his pro-Russian sympathies, made an
appeal for the maintenance of order and organised a new security police. Hie
efforts, however, brought little result. Arms and ammunition were in the
possession of, or available to, anybody who cared to pick theu. up, even mere
boys, and the supplies of these were augmented by deserting aids is and cons
cripts who abandoned them at the first opportunity. Vengeance against any
democrats who could be unearthed became the order of the day - and night.
/ These