'Kurdistan and the Kurds' [‎48v] (96/122)

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partisan of the Turks and the Germans, and a rallying point for all
agitation against the Entente.
On the 1st of June the Persian authorities sent 30 soldiers with two
guns by steamer from Sherif Khaneh, the port of Tabriz, to land at Ur-
miyah, but they found on their arrival that the wooden pier had been
burnt; after exchanging a few shots with the Kurds who lined the shore they
returned to Tabriz. On the 2nd the Governor-General of Tabriz received
a message from Sadir-ul-Fatih, informing him that he had driven the Kurds
out of the town, but that great disorder prevailed in the surrounding
districts and that all communications with the outside world had been cut.
At the same time, the British Legation in Tehran received a telegram
from Urmiyah, signed by Armenian and Assyrian representatives, to the
effect that a massacre of the Christians was expected. No further news
came through till it was learnt on the 1st of July that the American
Consul at Tabriz had succeeded, with considerable difficulty, in transport
ing all the Christian population from Urmiyah to Tabriz, except a few
women who were detained in Mohammedan houses. After that the
situation improved and gave less cause for anxiety.*
Note.
The following note is an extract from Major Noel’s diary of his journey ^
in Kurdistan, and gives his view of the political situation at Diarbekr
in May:—
“ As in most towns of the East, the notables of Diarbekr can, with
certain exceptions, be classed as corrupt and degenerate intriguers. They
oppress their tenants, devour men’s property and are always ready to go
into partnership with a corrupt Turkish official to swindle the government.
“With these characteristics it is not surprising that many of them
were active supporters of the Committee of Union and Progress, to which
they were attached solely by claims of self-interest.
“With the eclipse of the Committee of Union and Progress and face
to face with the possibility of the disappearance of the Turkish
* Information regarding the disturbances in the district of Urmiyah, which has
been received from the Spanish Vice-Consul (an Armenian) at Salmas, gives a some
what different version of these events. He arrived in Tabriz on the 8th of .Tune,
bringing a friendly message from Ismail Agha Simko; he stated that the cause of the
trouble was the sending of a bomb through the post t<> Simko; the bomb exploded,
killing five Kurds, amongst whom was Simko’s brother. Suspecting some Persians
at Khoi of the responsibility of this plot to murder him, he immediately ordered the
disarmament of all Persians in Khoi, Salmas and Urmiyah. This was successfully
accomplished in Khoi and Salmas, but in Urmiyah the Kurdish force, which was in
the minority, was driven out by the Persians, who appear then to have attacked the
Armenian compound belonging to the American mission, where several Kurds were
supposed to have taken refuge. This resulted in a massacre of Christians. The
Vice-Consul further stated that Simko refused to take any part in the movement
against the return of the Christians to the districts of Van and Urmiyah and that he
was really friendly disposed towards them.