Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎447r] (896/1237)

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Again, Major Usman has asked us to entertain Indian troops* ri
He thought v/e might have them on the lawn of an afternoon, and let
them drink tea, or chew raisins and nuts according to whether they
are Moslem or Hindu, and listen to the wireless from Delhi.- ^e are
ready to do anything to maintain morale,, hut some convdy cojaiigjiders
scoff at the mere idea of such entertainment, saying that the men
wouldn’t want it nor would it he effective. A German T knew here in
the old days used to tell a story about a couple sitting sedatelyion
a park seat when two dogs came along to scandalise the -lady*;.—.,
Pegged her husband to do something to stop them. He demanded to
Know what he could possibly do to stop them. ”0h, throw them a sweet,
5 or somethingi" cried the lady, to which he retorted ’’Would you stop
x'or a sweet?* 1 So I think that, on the whole,, the sceptics win, and
that a handful of nuts on the Consular lawn would not keep the troops
away from these naughty Tabriz ladies.
There is, among the GPT companies coming here, one, the 51st,
which has made a great reputation as the model company. ’ Its road
manners are perfect, its discipline was considered exemplary, and the
fact which is stressed is that all its officers except the O.C. are
Indians. Unhappily if has also begun to yield to the temptations of
Tabriz, to tarnish its record. The fact is that for a few trips all
goes well with these companies, but presently the men begin to know
that they can get high prices for their rations, in cash or in
favours. I have been able, by getting police posted around the
camping ground, to abate the nuisance, but the real cure is a parking
ground completely enclosed and at some distance from the town.
Captain Shneerson, in charge of the 16th L of C group here, was
evidently chosen for his knowledge of spoken Russian. He is not
outstandingly tactful with the Russians, nor does he have any serious
grasp on affairs which would make him as helpful generally as I hoped
a Russian speaking officer might be. I regret more than ever that my
request, made last January, for the loan of Sergeant Sanders was
turned down. This man was born in Leningrad, and speaks and writes
Russian very well. Moreover he is mature, sensible, studious and
qiziet, Just, the typ^e settle down to a. steady Job in dull Tabriz.
Officers whom;I have consulted think highly of him and I was most
disappointed to learn recently that he has been all these months
marking time with the 10th Motorised Brigade in Kum. My last
information is that he has been sent to an OCTU at last, but I venture
the suggestion that an effort might still, be mnde through the War
Office to get him posted hre$ say as an additional Vice Consul. The
military are continually asking for information which I find it
difficult to supply and which they wpuld get more quickly if they
would help by posting a man here. He could also read the*Caucasus
press for me, and make contact with minor Russian officials,whom I
have little opportunity of meeting. His particulars are:-
7687745 Sgt. E. Sanders, Int. Corps (P.S.W.)
H.Q. Paiforce.
United Kingdom Coyercial Corporation . ’’The name of the UKCC
stinks in this country". That was said to me by one of the company’s
’! officers. Another officer was at pains to make the distinction
between the UKCC proper and the transport section which, in this
country operates the lorries carrying supplies to Russia; it was
that section, he alleged, which had earned disrepute for the name,
iCertainly it is that section which we know best in Azerbaijan.
Much of the obldquy was occasioned, no doubt, by teething
troubles, by the inexperience of staffs working in Persia for the
first time, by shortage of competent staff and the necessity to rely
on Persians who proved dishonest, but some blame must be attributed to
i the rigid refusal to backload. The military authorities are blamed
for that decision and for the apparent refusal to consider how
jharmful it is in practice. Theoretically it quickens the turnround
of vehicles, but all the corporation’s agents whom I have met contest
that theory. I recently appealed to the Chancery to tackle this
problem, and a conscientious effort was made, but it came up against
the brick wall of fixed orders which Chancery’s guns can’t breach.
I am delighted that the matter has been taken up in London.
/The