Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎450r] (902/1237)

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bridge, an anoient structure ehioh ie not standing up to the
pounding of present day traffic, and which is causing theMoyal
Engineers a good deal of concern*
\ 98* rii mliea to Buasla * The supply of railway waggons has bosn
rather better latsly, hut there la still congestion# . r
Director of XransoTtrans has been particularly grumpy and diffioul
s with our conYoy oonunandera because much of the meat arriving here
seems to be near its expiry date - some of the tins have in fact
blown already# He ia thraatening to reject whole loads in which
he finds blown tins, and his predicament is understandable. He
knows that the stuff may be on hie hands for some time and that
much of this ***** meat near the expiry date will be useless
before he can get it away#
Other minor difficulties and matters of detail have been
tackled by Lt. Colonel Sdgell and Major Osman, both of whom havs
paid visits to Tabriz#
99 * Ths food situation has greatly improved# The price of wheat
has slumped from Rls.12.000 a ton on the free Tabriz market to
1 Is.5.4W* Brsad is in good supply and of better quality* The
ioovernor-General has been promised fifteen more lorries with which
to build up a reaerva.
*.he usalans are happier too about supplies for their troops*
They have been using the fifty Persian official lorriss to bring
@400 tons of grain from irdebil to Tabriz, fhapur and other
points where they have garrisons. The ever alert manager of the
i,nglo-Ircmlan Oil Company has. Incidentally, persuaded them to
transport in the lorries returning empty to ^rdobll a substantial
quantity, some *5.000 tins, of benzine and kerosene at the rate
of Is.* per ton-kilometre* This is precisely the sort of thing
that I should like to see British-controlled lorries do (sse
preceding diary, paragraph 85*)
100. Local Government * The Oovernor-Ceneral remains quite
seriously ill andunfit for duty* A friendly gesture by the
Russians has proved to be no kindness# They sent e military
doctor and it seems that he knows of one malady only and always
diagnoses malaria complicated by influenza# no he subjected the
unfortunate Ustandar to a maxXsxm series of injections of quinine,
but other costore sailed in on tint# quiet say that he has pleurisy,
and that the rrusslan treatment has done a lot of harm#
Kahramani, one of Mr# Vivian's lieutenants, has beam appointed
head of the Supply Department here#
101# Local politics # ah attempt to work up a demonstration on
t-ay Day against 'the grant of special powers to Dr. Mlllspaugh was
quahhsd by the Governor-General. From his sick bed he directed
s number of leading merchants to open their offices on that day
and to use their influence to prevent others from closing# They
did so effectively. The idea of course was to embroil the
Russians in the **** ^lllsppugh controversy and to try to
IntlAldate the government with the suggestion that Azerbaijan,
with Russian support, would resist the application of ^lllspaugh's
powers in Azerbaijan#
102# Poneular uolleafues # The Vice Consul who has been in charge
of the Iraqi Consulate since the last Consul was accidentally
killed by the uaslans on their entry has been appointed to
Damascus# The poet is not a popular one with Iraqis, and the
Vico Consul itohss to bs off# He fears that his relief, already
overdue, may dally on the way for quite e while yet#
105# Public Health. Typhoid is succeeding typhus as illnsss No.l
la Tabriz; Sit"there is still a lot of typhus in the neighbouring
villages#
104# Labour # ohammed Hilal Kesri, labour leader, organised a
rally on lay 1 st. The consuls wers invitsd, but none attended#
/Kesri t