File 566/1921 ‘Persia: military Attaché’s intelligence summaries’ [‎23r] (54/818)

[This Document is the Property of
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
His Britaiftfe Majesl y’s Government.
[October 1.
Section 3.
[■E 9716/69/34]
No. 1.
Sir P. Lorame to the Marquess Gurzon of Kedleston.—(Received October 1.)
(No. 374. Secret.)
My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to transmit to
summary No. 31 of the 4th instant,
Legation.
O
Tehran, August 17, 1923.
your Lordship herewith copy of intelligence
compiled by the military attache to this
I have, &c.
(For the Minister)
E. MONSON.
Enclosure in No. 1.
^ ^ ^ Intelligence Summary No. 31 for Week ending August 4, 1923.
Gilan.
THE Russian consul at Enzeli, Bragin Kurayedof, a few days ago caused the
arrest and detention of a Turkoman sailing vessel, which had come from Gumesh Tepe.
Oo one! Muhammad Hussein Khan, the officer commanding Northern Brigade was
extremely annoyed at this action by the Bussian consul and instructed the Military
(governor of Enzeh to effect the immediate release of the vessel. Bragin Kurayedof
stated that the boat had been detained for leaving Gumesh Tepe without the permission
ot the Kussian naval agent there. Colonel Muhammad Hussein replied that he did not
recognise the Bussian naval agent as having any official position in Persia, and the
vessel was released.
u u ^ a PP ears that the boat was detained by the Bussian officials for not having paid
harbour dues to the naval agent. This minor incident serves to show that the Bussians
still control the ports along the Persian coast as if they were Bussian posts.
2. Akhundof, a Persian subject and a prominent member of the Bussian
Communist party in Gilan, has been arrested in Besht by the Persian military
authorities. He had previously been arrested and deported from Gilan in ] 922 but
was allowed to return during the governorship of Nayer-es-Sultan, the pro-Bussian
Governor. He is the local candidate for the new Majlis of the Extreme Left party.
3 - A number of Persian merchants are proceeding from Gilan to Bussia for the
iNijm fair, but it is generally agreed that Persian merchants can and will do very
little m the way of trade with Bussia until there is absolute freedom for individual
trade.
a f ew °f. ^e bigger men, who have established some kind of relations with
the Soviet authorities, are at present doing anything. The smaller fry, w r ho are
dependent on personal efforts and personal visits to Baku, can do nothing. ’ They are
all bankrupt. J
Azerbaijan.
4. labriz.—Py order of the Central Government propaganda is being conducted to
ensure the election of sound Government candidates for the new Majlis. The town,
however declines to excite itself about the elections, or about the exodus of mullahs
from Irak despite frantic messages from Tehran.
r r ^ a J® st y 8 consul at labriz reports that friction between the Persian and
Turkish authorities has been noticeable recently, owing to reports having been received
that the lurks have been expelling Persian subjects from Turkey. British carpet
exporters, who have been sending their goods to Trebizond during the past two years
isguised as Persian goods, now propose to instruct their agents in Turkey to declare
these goods to be British and not Persian.
[430 a—3]