Coll 28/108 ‘Persia. General situation in Meshed following the Russian occupation (incl. proposed consular escort. Withdrawal of Indian Long Range Squadron.’ [‎290v] (580/721)

old Russian Consulate-General by Lieutenant-General fehapkin, commanding the
forces and two staff officers. Our conversation was friendly but formal, and 1 was
advised that though efforts would be made to reopen telegraphic communications
with the rest of the country and to despatch any telegrams I might wish to send,
the safety of the roads could not at the moment be guaranteed for my courier
mail. No regular liaison officer has apparently been appointed to co-ordinate
the activities of the military and civil administration to whom I can refer in
case of necessity on behalf of British subjects. Accordingly, as I had certain
petty matters to discuss, I called again personally on General Shapkin on
Wednesday, the 3rd September, at his headquarters. On this occasion I received
a distinct impression that my co-operation was not required, and that any inter
vention on my part was not welcome. (I had taken it on myself to inform the
general that Dr. Baroch, a Czech subject, had done all he could since his arrival
here to join the allied forces and that papers about him were in my office. The
previous day he had been treated with scant courtesy by a Russian investigating
officer.) It appears, indeed, that the Ogpu has begun its sinister activities by
arresting a number of foreigners who may be suspected of pro-German or at least
anti-Russian sympathies. I am endeavouring to establish some sort of liaison
with the general with a view to further co-operation.
Panic similar to that which seized Meshed itself appears to have affected
all other towns in the area as far as Birjand in exactly the same way. Birjand is
still in a chaotic condition accentuated by the chronic shortage of food-stuffs
there, and Mr. French, whom I have sent there from Zabul, reports that the
situation is critical. Elsewhere order is being slowly restored, and in Meshed
where the bread shops have for three days been besieged by mobs of people
trymg to buy three times as much as they require in case of shortage, the supolv
is now adequate to meet all demands. Our chief anxiety is the threatened shortage
Hi P e 5 01 as a I es V, lt , of the incessant demands of the army and the entire
RnSnnf a ™ °lf it St ° C f in th ? ir flight from the advancing
the S',At b h ' °i he , Sup v p y f t 0re '? m Meshed and practically the whole of
the stock in Turbat-i-Haidan has thus been looted by the Persian army There
to brfngln fresh^upplTef nearer ^ Semnan and lnSufficient ' trana Port
8. More serious still is the question of security. Both the nolice and thp
IWStfcSl S3 appear
nol many of rfrom h„« „ p,«*nf £“Kn"SO 0 '
the shops have for the most part paid in rials fnr fW A tew , that ^ av f Vl sited
to have had special instructions to behave well to tb thei l P urchas es and appear
long these conditions will con'tmdi^ how
nlf „ lea 71 the toB : n a ?ain, but traffie’is of necelsity restricted
especially in the matter of lorries, by the need of bvf 18 01 ne J; esslt y rest
Meshed from neighbouring centres ami by the shortage oT petrol^ SUPPl ‘
10. I am sendino- a i . Ui P et roi.
ies for
I am sending a copy of this desmtoh or P etr °h
printed letter No. 312. ‘ P to (be Government of India under
I have, &c.
G. F. SQUIRE.
Declaration to the People of Khorasan.
Persia and U.S S.R^deem Rmces^ary to malch intoth? 11 t0 preserve the lan d
the attention of the people that we do not intend lo 1 countr y we wish to dra
ever. For this purpose he wish that you should not shn 6 bl ° odslled whats
our forces. On the contrary, we invite vou to Ho h aD) [ reslst ance again
who induced you to fight against Russia, hhe treacheTnn, a11 those perso:
handed over your beloved country to the Germnmf o J° US y overni nent of Pers
instruments in the hands of the Germans. The German^ 1 ' 6 ,l 0Ur SOns t0 be 11
mothers and children. The brutal Germans aro endearourmg'to^rhad l!