Coll 28/112B Persia. Tabriz. Monthly dispatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan, & misc: reports.’ [‎119r] (238/451)

pishavari asked i,azi Mohamed to go there to examine the situation,
139• The Kurds claim riezaieh, friahpur, Vhoi and MianAaab as
Kurdish tov/ns amd hitherto !*ussian influence has beer successful in
curbing their restlessness. An apparently reliable report indicates
that the Russian ConGUl-Oenersl in Tabriz visited Ururaieh district
about the 25th of the monthi presumably with the object of inducing
the Kurds once more to refrain from direct action against the Azer-
*baijan provincial Government, and information received at the end of
the month, was to the effect that the Kurds had withdrawn from the
town of Resaieh. It is commonly rumoured that as a reward for his
pains the Soviet diplomat was relieved of his purse and revolver on
the return journey by two Kurdish gentlemen who showed scant respect
for the dignity of his position.
140. Affriculturo. Crops are very poor, due to late rains and
flooding, and the grapes have suffered much damage. On the 06th of
September the provincial Council published a law to the effect that
in accordance v/ith their scheme for the purchase and storage of wheat
and barley for winter needs landowners and farmers must sell the
suiounts specified to the Covemaent, these amunts being 75% in the
case of landowners mi 20$ in the case of farmers. Failure to do ao
would entail imprisonment for from 3 to 10 years and anyone caught
trying to s^ggie grain outside of the Province, would receive the
death penalty. It is not surprising that the Government are having
difficulty in collecting grain as they have no money to pay for it
end give credit noteg which afford little, if any satisfaction to
the agriculturists. Considerable arreiety as to the adequacy of the
winter stocks is felt in Government circles.
141. ^liac 3llaneous. No solution of the kenjan problem has so far
been reported. It will be remembered # that the Azerbaijan Government
during the movement sent a force of Plda’is there and the town was
governed from Tabriz. Aft:?r the agreement with the Central Govern
ment, however, -it was decided that the Governor of the town should be
appointed by Tehran, but there was constant friction between the
gendarmerie who followed him and the Picte’is. A delegation from
Tabriz met a comission from Tehran in Zenjan and it appears that
under a compromise arrangement the forces stationed there would con
sist of 300 gendarmerie and 300 Fida^s, the officer commanding
being appointed from Tehran and the second in command from Tabriz.
Further disagreement ensued, however, when Tehran insisted that the
Democrat elements should consist of persons bom or resident in
Zenjen, and there is no present indication as to how or when the
matter will be settled.
On September 13th a reception was held at the Railway Head
Office in Tabriz, to celebrate the handing over of the Azerbaijan
railways by the Russians, but final arrangements in this regard were
only made on September 2oth. It is reported that many items are
missing. The lines are no?/ open for commercial traffic.
The sugar factory An East India Company trading post. at Kianduab owned by the Central Government
and taken over by the Azerbaijan authorities la the scene of trouble
with the growers of the beets, namely the Kurds, who want to run the
factory An East India Company trading post. themselves, claiming that the town is Kurdish. They threaten
to grow no beets next year unless their demands are met, but a suggest
ed compromise is that half the proceeds of the factory An East India Company trading post. should go to
the Kurds and half to the Azerbaijan provincial Government.
A new monthly, “The Democrat”, has made its appearance in Tabris
and is devoted to an exposition of the objects and activities of the •
Democratic party.
The local press, generally, continu
Western Democracies ana most of tne articx
5?. b &se«u^*.§s.
unknown in Tabriz who are probably sponsored by the Russians ana wno
have come from the Caucasus.
/ The tokens