File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎331r] (309/1080)

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INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING
JANUARY 7TH, 1922.
KHORASAN.
Meshed. —The Russian Consul General, Karim Hakimov, inaugurated
his appointment with a reception at the future Chancellery of his Consulate
of the chief officials of Meshed. Later, in their presence and before a small
gathering of the Russian colony, the flag of the Soviet Republic was hoisted
to the strains of the Internationale.
2. The Russian Consul General made two speeches, one at the reception
and one prior to the hoisting of the flag. It would seem from the reitera
tion of the phrases and formulae of the two speeches that what he said was
what he had been instructed to say. He dwelt on the necessity of recipro
city in act, policy, and sentiment between the Russian Government and
people and the Persian Government and people. He expressed the hope
that this reciprocity would solidify and become stronger day by day. He
repudiated in the name of the Russian Government the outrage on the
Shrine of the Imam Reza, the bombardment of which was the act of a
former, that is, of a Tsarist Consul General.
3. The arrival and departure of the British Consul General were hon
oured by the playing of the British National Anthem.
4. This ceremony was followed by an official luncheon at the Russian
Consulate General at the conclusion of which the Russian Consul General
made another speech of the same set phrases but concluded with the usual
Bolshevik formula of “ Long live ”, this and that. In deference to Persian
susceptibilities there were no wines at the luncheon.
5. Later in the week there was a dinner and, dance at the same Consulate ,
General at which there were no British guests. What morality there is in
such expenditure when not a hundred miles away hundreds are dying of
starvation, is open to question.
6. Military. —The antagonism between the Governor General and the
Commandant of Persian Cossacks Hussein Aqa Mir Panj, is now a matter
of public knowledge. The latter has sided for sympathy and support with
the Aghazadeh and is much with that high priest. The latter is arraying
his ecclesiastical following in opposition to the Governor General and is re
ported to have sent telegrams to Teheran praying for the removal of this
ruler. Instead, he will probably merit a pious wish on the part of the
Persian Government for someone <c to rid them of this troublesome
priest ”.
7. In the situation so presented may be seen features identical to those
of last spring when hostility between the Gendarmerie Commander and the
Governor General ended in a revolution in Khorasan. The one factor,
however, that made that rebellion temporarily so successful is now; wanting
and that is a large supply of arms and ammunition for, as previously re
lated large quantities of these have been removed to Teheran.
8. The Persian War Minister has telegraphed to the Mir Panj that the
name “ Cossack ” has been abolished. The troops will be called by the
usual appellation of “ Qushun ” while the men will be known as “ Sarbaz
in accordance with national ideas. Companies will be “guruhan ” and
squadrons “bahadur ” while “ brigade ” will be substituted by tip ,
and “ division ” by “ Lashkar ”.
9. According to the Persian Cossack Commandant, the War Minis
ter hopes to raise an army* of 75,000 to be grouped at Teheran, Azerbaijan,
Khorasan, Isfahan, and'Hamadan. This figure cannot be immediately
* Later five divisions.
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