BROKEN TREATY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 148, 20 December 1945, Page 7

BROKEN TREATY

EFFECT ON PERSIA

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) Rec. noon. LONDON, December 19.

"The Persian people feel bound to record bitter feelings and complaints against flagrant breaches by one of their allies of the explicit and definite terms of the tripartite treaty of January 29, 1942," declares a statement issued by the Persian Ambassador in London. "The three Powers under the treaty undertook to respect Persia's territorial integrity, independence, and sovereign rights," he says. "A series of violations of the treaty by one of the parties has now culminated in an attempt to dismember Persia by severing from her one of her most important provinces—Azerbaijan. This is a tragic example of unfaithfulness to the sanctity of the treaty. Feeling confident that Britain will always honour her obligations, the Persians still have great hope that the Foreign Ministers at Moscow will reach an agreement to ensure respect for Persia's integrity and sovereign rights, and that their great neighbour and ally (the Soviet Union) will dispel all suspicions by having her troops and officials abstain from interference in Persia's internal affairs."

A Tass news agency message from Teheran reports that the northern Persian town of Ardebil has placed itself completely under the jurisdiction of the "Azerbaijan National Government."

A curfew has been imposed at Reziaeh, according to reports by travellers reaching Tabriz from the northern provinces of Persia. Executions by firing squads, beatings up, and mass arrests are being carried out under the orders of the commander of the brigade of Persian troops against Azerbaijan and Armenian inhabitants of the town who sympathise with the National Government of Persian Azerbaijan. Tanks are patrolling the streets and soldiers and gendarmes are firing at windows.