Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎276r] (554/1237)

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however, it was fiven to two i menians to start a bar, tbe
Armenians giving him Rla.50,000 key nuney. This money is
stated to have been, shared with a subordinate employee of the
Russ i n Consulate-General. The same ocrriciissar is believed to
b&ve oolleoted considerable sums of money from occupants of
other houses by pretonUng that the Russians wished tc
requisition their premises and offering to arrange for their
continued oossesaion for a suitable consideration.
The f Akhtori bhim&lj an independent loc 1 paper, has
published an article written by one Mahmoud Rahmin Rajahi stat
ing that there exists a group of traitors working for a foreign
power who are spreading the rumour that Azerbaijan is to be
seo-i rated from Iran, for whom Azerbaijanis have* often shed
their blood and are prepared to do so ag in if necessary.
A meeting was held at the Grovernorate-General on
August ISth to elect the committee of the local Soviet -
Iranian Cultural Society. It was decided that the Governor-
General and the Soviet Consul-General should be joint presidents
and a committee of fourteen members was chosen, including
the commander of the Fersian troops, the Mayor, the head of
the Education Department and the pre -ident of the Chamber of
Commerce. The rest of the committee are persons of no con
sequence.
225. Rezaieh. Although the general situation in Western
Azerbaijan is quiet there are reports thet the Governor-
General be s not yet solved his inherited difficulties with
Zero Beg. Zero is now said to have cut off the water of the
Baranduz villagers until such time as the villagers agree to
pay him a fifth part of all their crops. This is a serious
matter for them, at this season as it threatens their rice,
melons and other products. The Gov*raor-General is apparent
ly of opinion that the only way of stooping Zero 3eg f s law
lessness is to disarm him, but Zero says he will forcibly
resist any such attempt.
in Assyrian named Babagian, who was arrester; for having
incited the Kurdish looting of Fersian vill ges in the Baranduz
district over a ye^r ago, has been judicially shot in front of
his house in the village of Balanich as an example to other
disturbers of the oeoce.
The Governor-General has forbidden the carrying of all
arms in Rezaieh by Turds as by others.
The municipality has taken successful steps to limit the
prices of fresh produce, which is substantially cheaper than
at Tabriz, where speculation at the expense of the consumer
continues unchecked.
226. Other Kurdish affairs. M.Melikov of the Soviet Consulate
in Rezaieh visited Ghazi Mohammed in Mahabad on ugust 11th.
and had several hours private conversation with him. The
pretext of the visit is said to have been the set lament of a
dispute between Ghazi Mohameci and Suvar Agha, one of the chiefs
of the Mangour tribe.
Major Curqusal of the Persian Air Force h s arrived in
Mahobad to take up his post as military governor and is staying
with Rahmat Shafii, a local merchant. Shortly f:fter his arrival
he was visited by two Soviet officers from Mianduab. He has
since fallen ill with typhoid. His prospects of exer ing any
influence are not bright.
Only forty to fifty members of the Persian garrison are
said to remain in Saqqiz, the rest having moved South to fight
the Jaf Kurds from Iraq.
Sadr Ghazi continues to utilize his position as a
member of the Majlis for the benefit of his friends. He has
arranged for the lease of a government owned village near
Bukan to be transferred from the Faisullah Begi tribe to Hama
Rashid. The latter’s followers have already turned out the
former occupants, who not thought likely to take it lying
down. Sadr Ghazi has also a ranged that Abdul igha, son
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