Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎390r] (782/1237)

r'xsk*
2.
ft ow t ign had brought labatahal back to tarsia la
oru^r to do away with tha c aatr/’a now-found liberty and to establish
their mn IfUlueaeo with uim as Uieir tool* It was essential to the
true iatercsta of rorola taet the g>ver ^aent should send Tabatabai
i>acitliig mid the speaker proposed despatdiiing a telegram to Tehran in the
naua« of the 14,000 people of Aserhaijan present demanding that the
ient expel him from the country* The meeting a as attended by
sp^ bOO people* The speech waa not received with any great demon-
&i at ion of entuusiesm and one pers 2 .. ;,,' y ic^st in tho audience was heard
to rtiuark loudly that the speaker woe talking through his hat* If, as
seems possible, tne Russians were behind the meting, in tbs hopes of
making the govor.^>ent lix Tehran believe th&t there was a popular clamour
for f&bat&Dai’s removal, they have -m de a bi^ mistake in using such s
miserable tool* They will have to look ior bigger fry than
If the kussians are completely innxjent of any complicity taey will pre
sumably take exception to this thinly disguised attack on an .Tilled
power* For that, w© can only wait and see. fto protest of any sort
has b^en xoade by tnc donsulnte-deuerul either to t w local authorities
or to tpe Ku^sians* as ti& speaker carefully avoided any direct
reference to direct briti&n a protest only give the other side the
opportuiiity of replying ’the cap fits’. ft or is tbs attack likely to
do us much harm in Axsroaljan where kussian support of Gsnsral huqshdam,
even in disgraos, has opened people * b eyes to kuasian noxi-i at erf e re no s
in the internal affairs of the country*
19-3* . ori.>i<,h .>h:^ accord!to report© in tue tovm, ^arhan dawadi Is
to corns to Tabriz as Go.axaa. *1 © r - in— T oi © f of t'hc ^ ersisn 1 cross in
Azerbaijan, and Garhang !• ridurjlar as Goma^iaer of trie endaraeris.
The hezalsh garrison comaanded by Sarhan beglsri Beg has been
t ittn si © rred to Tehran and r© .laced cy troops from Tabriz unier the
cuumand of :j arhang Azerpay • Garhsng Alp, Goamander of the Persian
1 orces in * ru.euil, hub also been tranaxerred to Tehran*
X9g* a.i ...af f ulr^ k. Gaisky, former Goviet ^ubassador in bond on,
arrived in Tabriz in the afternoon of October 14th and left 6 p.ra* the
sa..*c evening by train for T. os cot.'. Indian
un tie ni:.ht n Got ;'b@r 10th a Britieiysoldier, who was re
turning to camp, 1 oat his way and wandered close to a Rua si an car-park
he was challenged by the a entry, out, presumably failing to understand,
he j^ve no reply and continued to advance. The soviet sentry tired two
shots over his zead and then, according to the ©entry’s account, the
unknown person unelung a rill© frmi hie shoulder and turned as if to
take refuge in a deep ditch close ay. The sentry then fired at him
arid the bullet penetrated the soldier’s back and came out through his
chest missing the heart by about an inch. A Russian military doctor
gave first-aid and took the wounded man to the Juimrlean hospital. Tlx©
goviet military sutnorltie© were .*ost apologetic and assisted in every
way to clear Urn ioatter up. The Indian soldier had been at fault as
a British military order forbids soldiers to take their rifles out of
tue camp*
There have been increasing complaints against the behaviour of
ti>c nussian soldiery. many vineyards near tne town have been
despoiled* Tiie damage, on the whole, is not very serious, and no & Tubt
similar thin l happen wherever there is axiy consideraDle body of troops
in wax‘-fixae. In this area, however, suca cenaviour conurasts very un-
favourably with the exemplary discipline oi the Soviet troops last year.
The reason for the deterioration may perhaps be found in the succession
of kuaaian victories, txie generally improved war situation and the con
sequent slackening oi tension*
It ie re portsd that there has been recently a large increase in
tne nuiubers oi Russian troops in Azerbaijan* A nuiaesr of liewly-
arrived cavalry h©v© been quartered in i-hoi and & almas*
194* mm ; ,irs Gn October lOtn the officer co/muanciing the
xersisn foi'oes im Azerbaijan called on the Acting Gonsul-Genersl with
the information ti*«t a certain Ghcikh Lstif (iaformfition from H. 1 .
hg 0 ation gives the name as Sheikh Halil), son. oi sheikh AaamuG of
/Gulelmaniya,