Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎446r] (894/1237)

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Supplement to Tabriz Diary No.10 Cl
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Under T .re._ of l»t 7 : 3
tor F«^i0i Afiai»» ; 3
Points frequently arise v/hich are of more than local interest
but which are not really suitable for circulation in my diary, I‘
think I might as occasion requires add a supplement to the regular
diary in order to reproduce such points for the information of
egation and Eastern Department on ly.
v
2.
Soviet Ambassador*s visit.
§0 JUN
Did it have any special significance?
The Soviet Consul General here has been a sick man for months.
He nearly died when his stomach ulcers perforated two or three months
ago* and since then he has been continuously on the point of going to
Baku for an operation. Meantime his children have been very ill.
I Altogether they have had a bad time* and it is perfectly possible that
j the Ambassador came up merely to took Kuznetzov and his family over.
In favour of this theory is the fact that he was here for 36 hours
only* and went off without seeing the Governor General* content
apparently to accept the fact that Mogaddam was then still far from
well. Mogaddam wanted to see him* according to what he told me two
days after the Ambassador left* and he seemed slightly peeved that
Smirnov had shot off without warning.
No propaganda purpose was served by the visit. The Municipality
gave him a meal* but there were no other functions and the public as a
whole does not know he came. The Consul General got the news that he
was on his way through the local authorities; before that he had only
the vaguest warning that the Ambassador would come sometime. I had a
long talk with the Governor General yesterday evening and it is clear
that he had been all set to discuss with Smirnov the now urgent
question of the ban on the export southwards of foodstuffs. (See
paragraph 123 of my diary). I wonder if Smirnov’s sudden departure
wasn’t perhaps evasive action.
I have examined the possibility that the Governor General* being
under suspicion from his own people* may be moved* apparently on the
general accusation of being too friendly with the Russians; that
therefore Smirnov came up to smell the local atmosphere and perhaps
make plans for supporting a friendly Governor General. I don’t think
this possibility should be ruled out altogether; I have felt quite
{suspicious that Mogaddam should have* on May 31st and June 8th* made
quite a point of not having seen the Ambassador. And it was quite
uncalled for that Kuznetzov should have told me* a propos of almost
nothing* that Smirnov was displeased with Mogaddam over the food
situation. But if that was planned to forestall any impression that
Mogaddam and Smirnov could possibly be concerting some plans* then
Mogaddam wasn’t coached properly. Last night I threw a fly over him
about the food situation and he quite frankly said he was dissatisfied*
that the town hadn’t yet a proper reserve because the Russians had been
using his lorries* but in a day or two he would get them back and then
the situation would improve.
On the whole I submit that the simple explanation meets the case*
but I leave it to H.M. Minister with his wider range of information to
decide definitely.
3« H.M. Minister’s proposed visit. I do not know whether Sir
Reader Bullard will now consider it politic to come to Tabriz hard on
the heels of the Soviet Ambassador. I have done what I could to
forestall possible suspicions should he decide to come. I told
Kuznetzov that the Minister had just gone to have a look at Isfahan
and Shiraz and had intended to come and see Tabriz* but that I
supposed a visit now would be open to all sorts of weird interpretations.
This got a laugh out of Kuznetzov. I told the Governor General much
the same thing.
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