Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎104r] (208/1237)

ciUthoritiae hbVe sent a Gauoasiaii named Siyamandoff to Mahabad to
organize and direct tUe Society’s activities. There is constant
communication between naiiabad and the Kurdish districts of Iraq and
Kurdish publications fro.;, Mahabad are seen in Iraq* Propagandists have
also oeen sent into Turkey to rally the Kurds there.
The only part oi this that a membex 1 of this Consul at ©-^General was
able to confirm during a recent visit to »iahabad is the ooamunication
w oes on across the Iraqi frontier.
id. Joxmaercial The boviet Trade Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. sold about 1,200 bags
jjsl soft and loaf sugar in the week ending duly 15th. at the price of
xvie. 48 and xtls. 57 per kilogramme rcgpectively* One Tabriz merchant
bought 700 bags, presuaiaely for re-sale in Tehran, where most of the
coasioiment seems to have gone. The Russian- are also reported to have
imported a quantity of window-..lags, teapots and tea glasses. There is
little sale for these locally as Tabriz-made tea glasses sell for only
4 rials each. The x^rice of & piece of window glass, 5 by 8 varshelCB,
which is the commonest size sold here, has fallen from 60 to 20 rials.
Except for rice the prices of locally produced foonstuff a show no
change from last month. In the middle of July there was a sudden rise
in the price of rice at iabriz from Kls. 75 per batman oi 5 kilos to
Kls. 140. The liew rice crop docs not yet appear to be on the market
and old stocks are nearly exhausted.
The pi’ices of carpets ar~ rising with increased buying for the
American and dyriaa markets.
The increase of orders or goods from America is enhancing the price
of American dollars in the Tabriz bazaar where there is a brisk demand
for them. The latest bazaar rate is Kls. 53 per dollar as against the
official rate of Kls. 52. There is also a demand for sterling, and the
Tabriz branch of the Imperial Bank reports increased sales of sterling
drafts in the last few weeks. One or two customers from astern
Azerbaijan have ex.iained that they ore buying sterling with the
proceeds of the sale of their lands on the Turkish frontier. Another
asked anxiously v^en the r. suit of the British General election would
be ucclared because, if hr. Cmarchill was still Prime Minister, he
wished to convert his savings - 800,005 rials - into sterling.
151. Lcvax;t Gtatcs Affairs . A circular has been received from the
Iraqi Consul in Tabriz stating that he has been instructed by his
Government to assume responsibility for the protection of Syrian and
Bebanese interests in Azerbaijan.
152. Kronen Interests . The celebration ox the Fourteenth of July was
arranged ay the Head of the bazarist Aission in Tabriz. It took the
form of a concert given by children of the Mission School. The French
Community, apart from the head of the Mission and four or five nuns,
consists of only six persons, cut the hall was tilled up to and, indeedj
beyond its capacity oy a cro.u oi parents, relations ana well-wishera,
by Iranian government officials and a perspiring Consular Corps* The I
Russian contingent oi the latter retired honourably after the iirst
two hours. Mone of them understands a word of French and the Consul-
General's wife had already fainted from the heat. The other Foreign
Representatives had perhaps an unfair auvantage in the relief provided
oy a beer party organized at the same time as the concert bygone
practically minded Frenchmen who enlisted the aid of the cafe
proprietor whose preraises, opportunely, form part of tne Mission's
pr ope rty.
v.#. :iall
British Consulate-General,
Acting Consul-General
Tabriz
July :38th., 1945.