Coll 28/112B Persia. Tabriz. Monthly dispatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan, & misc: reports.’ [‎149r] (298/451)

-5-
aad been doikj before, the ^eiaocrat adrainistration has given eoiae
convincing inaio. tioxia 3 x an intention to carry out its oro^raauat#
^ promise to complete the railway between ^ianch and labrig is
embodied (but perhaps entombed) in the Agreement; and at the end
of dune the now u overnor-h €aei . a x announced from i'enran that he
had obtained a contribution of one million tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. from the Shah’s
privy purse for the provision of a water supply for Tabriz. Dr.
david, the ^overnor- u enexal| Deiog^ of coureej a prominent de
mocrat himself (aiid ex-minister of the Interior in the National
uoveriiment), has much more understanding of the politics! value
of such wor is than a i *enrani.dovernor- u endral would have.
fauriz *^uicipality, for its port, has shown considerable
energy in the la^.t six months. Tney nave gone anead witu the
asphalting and repeir of the streets,which were allowed to become
almost (some of them entirely) impassable under the old Persian
regime, rehabilitated and extended the pleasure resort of Shah
u oli and generally made much appreciated efforts to improve the
amenities of i'abriz*
8 * -->v •-.♦xw ^ ^ • i-'ii.. Ww of the first acts of the -I.Uonal
Government was to pass a conscription law (macember Slst., 1945 )
but ± i & i la vari thought it wiser not to put it into force until the
Democrats were a littel firmer in the saddle. It was not publish
ed therefore until February 7th., 1946. All male Azerbaijanis
over the age of 20 - with exemptions for family reasons and
previous service - were liaole to serve for two years, filing-up
began from the date of publication and by the time of the Hussian^
evacuation about nine classes had been called to the colours,
fhe ixuesiarm helped with instructors, equipment and uniforms and
the People s nrmy in a very snort time not only looked tougher
and more efficient than the old x ersian garrison cut was able
to defeat the partisan enemies of tne democrats in tte Denjan,
wain Galeh and *ara dagh areas, who, though composed, It is true,
of untrained peasants, had in the Gouth at any rate the suoport
of tne Iranian Army. ,
*-aiV of the People s ^iv^y officei a were WiUh jira, and, up
to *.ay tth., no secret was made of Russian co-operation in training.
Several Iranian officers who took part in the mutiny at -eshed last
year arrived in ia^riz early this year and ware at once given high
rank in the People s *rmy - two became generals. Dther Iranian
deserters, perhaps to the number of twenty came in during the period
under review, as did a few ^ir- x orce officers with two aircraft.
^ne aircraft crashed before reaching Tabriz, so that the total
ateagth of the Azerbaijan Air-^orce at the end of dune was one
machine•
in addition to the arras capturca from the Iranian garrison
last year, the People’s Army is well equipped with Persian Brno
rifles and tom ay-guns supplied by the Musaiana. it was also sup
plied with some light artillery, but the A utiS x anfi ^ 00ic back
shortly before the evacuation, ita artillery now consists only
of the few pieces which were forfaerly the property of the ^ranian
garrison, ho tanks hove been seen in the hands of the Azerbaijanis,
cut soldiers wearing tank-corps badges have been occasionally
observed.
A women’s unit was organized, with dress and equipiaent
copied from the Russian - including side-arras.
Fairly aucccssful eforts were made during these months to
organize the volunteer bands of i? ida*is who had constituted the '
armed force of tne insurrectionary phase of the revolution but who,
in the constructive phase,bc^an to be aoroething of a nuisance,
individual partisans were relieved from failitar/ duties but allowed
to retain their rifles and ordered to regain ready for active
service at call, fue more or lees coherent companies were enrolled
aa regular unite under the orders of the Ministry for the People *6
/ Army