File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎518r] (683/1080)

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(v) The Armenians of Askhabad have their own political society of the name
of “ Toi No mention of this has come to knowledge previously but particu-
+- rlifflnnlf. fn nVitnin It, is -nrobablv a mere oolitical effervescence.
of “ Toi . No mention ot tms nas come to Knowledge previously uur parucu-
j ars would not be difficult to obtain. It is probably a mere political effervescence.
{vi) There are five schools in Askhabad including one for girls. Political
propagandum forms a part of the curriculum.
(vii) There are four hospitals, each with 100 to 150 beds. They are described
as “ not popular ” and lack medicaments.
Iviii) There is great misery among the famine refugees from Kazan. Small
groups are still arriving by every train from the north and east. Numbers of
theni die of hunger and exposure. There can be no decided alleviation of the
general conditions of scarcity between this and the early advent of cold weather
in these latitudes when the misery of these people will be extreme.
(ix) As stated in their press, the Bolsheviks are establishing food centres, or
< < bases ’ ’ as they call them, in the attempt to cope with the food shortage.
Considering there is an insufficiency for the productive section of the community,
the feeding of the non-productive mass must present a problem of some magnitude.
It is a subject of surprise that a population that has been starving for nearly two
vears has kept its own side of the frontier and not flowed irresistibly m search of
food into the cornlands of Persia. The reason is hazarded that the Bolshevik
dreads a retaliatory move on the part of Great Britain, that move taking the
direction of a re-imposition of the blockade. It is not improbable tha t a threat
of that form of coercion would be sufficient to force an evacuation of Bolshevik
e ements frl the southern sea-board of the Caspian. In this connection it is
interesting to remember that in 1904 Aladin, then a refugee in England but latei
one of thf members of the first Russian Duma, observed when war seemed
imminent between the two countries, that England need only blockade Russia to
subdue her. . * . .
(rl The Turkmen and troops are described as longing for liberation at the
handiTof another Power. It is even said that the latter carry through their duties
and parades with reluctance.
,-s Th(i theatres are open to the public free of charge. They are largely used
lor tlm dksemffirtion of propaganda, 'only the lowest itrata of society frequent
M It will be seen ^ ^^flntions of rearing tofeterritory
Russia seems to have abandoned of t he islands in the Southern
to Persia, contenting herself • d in t h ese pages that Russia would
Caspian. Some time previous y i P id b t f Transcaspia and the
never yield Firuza, the summer resort from the owner . Tll e announce-
sanitarium of the Askhabad g*™ 011 ’ M mclief ter Guardian but it must be
ment is made on the authonty ^ to Muntofe ^ ^ & on the
r fi e "paper an e d probably uses it now as his particular organ. ^ ^
cropland * its^iinhaldtante^lh^re ^moveTto^ Merv.*^ SomeTcribe to toinlage of
the Teien River to Afghan action. . .
3 , discontented with Bolshevik dominion.
The Merv Turkmen are greatly dihCpntenreu
[ii) me mei invited to express an opinion
jftszszft •-* "■
thru plebiscite has not transpne . ^ ^ ^ ^ being « d>
W The compulsory trammg o £ T ] are made to at tend local schools.
selections being sent to Tashkent. C railway station about 25
Qala Kamarov (Murgh QaRa). My
miles from Kushk. accelerated to two trains a
day 40 Merv ^ Ku8hk ' Arelief
of the garrison is said to be in progress
C427FD