File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎479r] (605/1080)

discourage travelling on the part of the general public—perhaps on account of fear
of spreading disease.
Tales of great floods a d destruction of life and property are co ning in.
There appears to have been an unusual volume of water in the Amu Darya and
among the places affected are Aimata (the destruction of which, according to the
Bolshevik press, has been catastrophic), Kopri, Diwana Bagh, Old Charjui, and
Barab on the Central Asian Railway. These floods have stopped railway traffic
further east than Merv.
Khakistar, Archingan, Qalat-i-Nadiri, Bolan, Qaratagan.—N o news
of importance.
Persian Sarakhs. Dated August 4th to 11th .—The combined Russian and
Persian frontier restrictions are making it difficult to get news.
(i) The troops at present cantoned in Russian Sarakhs are principally
Qirqiz, Sarts, and Russians, the first named predominating.
(ii) The famine in Russia is the one topic of conversation. A Russian soldier
relate 1 how his father had been compelled to sell his horse for one pood of flour
and a pound of salt. The cne pood of flour he mixed with two of sawdust and of
the result made his bread. Sawdust is even eaten in lieu of bread when the
latter is not obtainable. The death rate in Moscow is said to be about a thousand
a day. The Russian soldiers at Sarakhs are disappointed with their Government.
They say that 500 destitute civilians are expected at Russian Sarakhs and the
same number at Tejen.
(Hi) On the 8th the Governor announced that in accordance with telegraphic
instructions from the Persian Foreign Minister, traffic from Persian to Russian
Sarakhs is forbidden. The Chief of the Special Department in Russian Sarakhs
has forbidden all Persians being admitted into Russian territory. .
(iv) This correspondent who is usually reliable, gave the total of the Kushk
garrison last week as 12 to 13,000 men. He now states it is 2,500 to 3,000 which
is nearer the estimates given by other sources of information though still in
excess,
(i>) The two lorries that were in Russian Sarakhs have been returned to
Tej en.
194.— Trans-Frontier.
Baku. July 25th ,—The Government ration is now half a pound of bread daily
and a pound of dried fruits.
There are about 20 Usmanli officers in Baku. They have been there for
about two months. They are always giving lectures on the Pan-Islamic move
ment. They have enlisted many men, providing them "with arms and clothing.
These they have sent via Kars and Trebizond to join the Kemalist forces.
About the 15th July news was received that a considerable insurrection has
taken place at Ganja, Qarabagh, and Shaki. Qarabagh was in the hands of the
insurgents and many Cossacks had deserted to them from the Bolsheviks. The
railway line had been destroyed and partizan bands were hastening to associate
themselves with the insurrectionaries.
About the 23rd information was received that the Kuban Cossacks had
rebelled against the Government which had been defeated in the field.
Cholera was raging in Baku, the average daily death rate being 200, while
it was thought that the epidemic was spreading.
Doctors had arrived from Moscow and quarantine was established.
A number of women is being trained in police duties and the use of arms.
Numbers of both sexes are beirfg brought from Moscow and are employed in the
docks and in municipal sanitary operations.
C429FD