SITUATION IN PERSIA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21900, 19 December 1945, Page 5

SITUATION IN PERSIA

BIG THREE STUDY IN MOSCOW BRITISH AND AMERICAN REPORTS IRAN GOVERNMENT PLANS PROTEST (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (11 a.m.) , LONDON, December 18. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, has received further reports on the Persian situation, says Reuter’s correspondent in .Moscow. He has had further talks with Sir Reader Bullard, British Ambassador at Teheran, and read translations of Russian -reports giving more information on the establishment of the new Government in Azerbaijan. The United States Secretary of State, Mr: James Byrnes, has also studied the latest reports on the Persian situation. The Foreign Ministers in Moscow yesterday met for the second time for two and a quarter hours. „ No statement was made. The Daily Telegraph says the situation in Persia is believed to be engaging the Ministers’ immediate attention. Official - 1 observers in Moscow describe the atmosphere at the conferences as cordial. M. Molotov has been invited to become chairman of the meetings. United States officials, who asked to be not identified, said they believed the Aberbaijan uprising was not spontaneous, but was due largely to the presence of the Russian occupation troops, says the Associated Press. The officials said there were not widespread demands for complete autonomy until the present uprising was considerably advanced. The United States differed strongly from the Russian view that S oviet officials had the right to bar regular Persian Government troops from Azerbaijan because their presence would increase disorders.

The Persian Minister in Washington, Hussein Ala, after interviewing the acting Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Acheson, told reporters that he had requested the United States to lodge a vigorous protest with Moscow. “Russia wants to present Britain and America with a fait accompli,” he said. “M. Molotov wants to sit down with Mr. Byrnes and Mr. Bevin and ask them what can be accomplished in Persia now the new Azerbaijan Government has been established.” w The Persian Cabinet is reported to .Tiave decided to send a protest to the v United Nations against what it described as the “usurpation of Azerbaijan,” says Reuter’s correspondent in Teheran. The

fall of Tabriz is described by eyewitnesses, Colonel Chahende, of the Tabriz garrison, and Colonel Homayun, chief of the Tabriz gendarmerie, who have arrived at Teheran. They said that resistance in Tabriz would have been impossible and stupid. The Persian barracks, with its garrison of 900, was surrounded by Russian troops with machine-guns and by “Democrats,” also with machine-guns, who occupied the roofs of the surrounding houses. The surrender agreement was therefore signed. All officers and the majority of the men left the barracks secretly, taking their arms and hiding in the neighbourhood.