'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎45v] (95/310)

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8. TJrumia .—(Feete paragraph 6 of Memo
randum for September 1905.) On the 12th
October, Mr. Grant Duff telegraphed that, in
spite of assurances given to the Minister that
the Mulla at present at Tabriz should be sent
to Tehran or Meshed, the Persian Government
now refused to carry out their promise. The
Grand Vizier informed Mr. Grant Duff that he
was instructing the Persian Minister to explain
the reasons for their refusal, but this was sup
posed to be a mere pretext for delaying. It was
considered important that the Mulla should
he sent to Urumia or to Meshed prison pend
ing enquiry. The United States Minister had
left for Russia to meet his wife, leaving, in
spite of urgent requests, no instructions what
ever to his Vice-Consul.
On the 21st October, Mr. Grant Duff
telegraphed that, from messages received from
the Grand Vizier, the situation had changed in
the following respects :—
(1) The Caucasian disturbances had greatly
increased fanaticism in Azerbaijan
and danger of attack on the Christian
population.
(2) The Mulla, who was old, was very ill.
(3) His removal from Tabriz might place
the Persian Government in a very
difficult position owing to the excite
ment {vide paragraph 5 of Memoran
dum for September 1905) already
prevailing at Tabriz.
(4) The situation at Urumia, where the
trial was impending, and the Mulla
much respected, might become
dangerous.
His Highness stated that permission
could not be given to Majid-es-Sultaneh to go
to Europe, as the Russians would at once make
such compliance an excuse for continual inter
ference to protect Persian subjects in Azer
baijan. He would resist an attempt to remove
the Majid at any cost.
On the 26th October, Mr. Grant Duff
telegraphed that the United States Minister
recently asked the Persian Government that
the accused Kurds should proceed to Urumia
from Tabriz as prisoners. His Majesty’s
Consul-General at Urumia stated that the
Kurds came from Tabriz in complete liberty.
They separated near Dilman from Bagher*
Special Commissioner, to enquire into the
Labaree murder and the attack on Captain
Gough. Numbers of their tribe rode out
to meet them and escorted them to their
villages in triumph after committing a murder
on the way. They did not come to Urumia.
The Consul-General thought there was little
use in his appealing again to the United States
Minister, but he should be informed that
possibly the Kurds might come in for the