Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎10r] (20/1237)

tiiti rpfcepo* ttm Declar^tlm of Peopla's Coagr««*
(paFa 254 abov#) wat pr«6«at«d to ta«* uovoraaeAta of Graot 3rltain t
the Uait^a 4tata», Auaaia* France and dhina as veil as to the
Iranian ^vermaent* before it seized pow«r it a veiled to the
b«;i40craei«8 ol the world, and to the principles of the Atlantic
vhartcr to justify ito claiais *iiia ita action, ana now that it is
catauliahcd it it seeking to have its status recognized h/ the
ixvt gru at powers* Intematlonal re c ^ nit ion of Az^rhai janian
autonoa^', indeed, ii^ur-a aa the first ai^ticle of tne prograia.'r*s
publiahe > h/ the new Oo^ernnent, at its second session*
ihv ne^ fcOVemsient was therefore nuch heartened, or professed
tj be, v*litn, on heceiabcx* i 9th*, the newly appointed suited States
Vice-Consul nade what the Covcrnaont newspaper called an official
call on the rriafe i»inist«r, Jaafnr Fluhavari anc In the oo rse of
very *&:%&. axic s 1 accr- coavexvation interrogacud hin about the
nc*. ^overxmeat f « intentions and principles, ihis vidt, “the first
oilicial vi it ptl>. by the representative oi a ^.reat f oreign power
to -4 he he sp.d of our $ at i >nul dovemiu^nt $ »uust hv considered, the
paper declaredt ©s greatly strengthening the hatl.jnal drovex*nnient
and paving thw way to its rcecr.aitl n by tht foreign powers*
I owards the Iranian Oovemuent th« new i«atxonsi Governuent of
Asi.rcfciJen aficcts an sttitune like tiiat of the proverbial woaen
adorned* it scys, in ©licet, have offered our loyalty to the
-bah and co-operation with you on the noet i\. as enable terms, but
you rciect us* if you go on rejecting us or try to regain by
iin ,*ici?;<1 prefceur© wfiat ^/ou h©ve XoLt oy Xorco oi aruis, we snail
be forced to declare our co«..Icte independence. In this, of course,
a in most other pronounoeaentt of tne Ketionsl GOyerment, can be
attested a style aai skill in preaeatMg a case beyona the talents
of daafar Fl&havsri’s cabinet*
whe domeatlo ,yol ipy of the National Government, eitaounced
in the uecon. cc,...im of the National i-'&rXianunt, contain# nothing
very ievolutionary* It promisess lh« ruor^aaiaction of the
province s fii ^aocs; the creation of a national * ecplg Ann/i
the c. wablishment of Xurki && the official language| tne
rehabilitation of iuuustry and thj finding of omployment for
all; the aettleuent ^of the agrarian problem ^d th^ safeguarding
of public hssglth* liic h^ti.mal G qy c mmcnt affirms it© belief in
the pr.inciple ox private Ownership anu in thv rights of racial
«*ttd religioufi minorities* It will apply any law© p&aged oy the
Jentr 1 G 0 vcrimient of Iran provided that they da not conflict with
thvj autonomous statue tf nserbsia©•* anu are not contrary to txie
spirit it the institution© a-, t up ©y th- people of thia province*
At the same time, it claims the right to revise any laws hitherto
n&d* by the Gontral Govermaent to bri:xg them into line with the needs
and vi, hes oi the people of Azerbaijan*
‘^he new Government ie at yrips with the probl m thi-t
faccft all those setting up house on their omt for the first time:
****** hee for money. fh« old Admialstration got slang somehow
btcauee it could draw juct enough from Tehran to pay the officials*
ssiaries, and as thoue officials did nothing except drew their
salsries* there wer© no other exp©ns--a* hut ttu, new Government has
no great hope of receiving this contrioutian fr m Tehran. It has
orked tor 5 million tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. to pfxy the of: ieiala with and there is
just © hope th$t Tehran may grant it to ©avc the minor civil
uerva; ts frou starving; but, a© far as can b© gathered hero, the
Central Government Is la a vindictive mood sub may decide to lot
t. eru starve.
A^vrr-.. ai this rialc* aa well au uf the need far much marc than
th 1 a grnt, the nou Ministwr oi F1 nanco, Ghulam Aoza IIhstuii, is
nakin:.. gr.at efierts to rake in ail outstandIxig taxes* Income
tux in this pravine# baa In the past brought revenue only to
/the