Persian Affairs.

Waikato Times, Issue 12166, 28 December 1911, Page 5

Persian Affairs.

(Per Pre»s Association.—Copyright.)

(Received Dec. 28, 8.5 a.m.) TEHERAN, Dec. 27

The director of the Persian Department of the Foreign Office, interviewed, declares that Russia is convinced that the Persian Government is not associated with the anti-Rus-sian outbreaks at Tabriz or elsewhere.

The authors of the Caucasian outbreaks are principally Armenians, criminals and political agitators. He adds that 3500 Russian troops are going to Tabriz and Teheran. ! A fresh attack of Indian Sowars at Kaaerun has taken place and twio were killed. 1 -

THE ALLEGED ATROCITIES.

strenuously denied

ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 27.

An official telegram from Julfa, in Trans-Cauoasoa, reports that the Russian Consul-General at Tabriz protests against the infamous calumnies upon the Russian troops, wfeo, hi 9 says, are treating the inhabitants with I humanity, notwithstanding atrocities committed by Persians upon Russian wounded, and notwithstanding the mutilation of Russian dead.

The Consul-General (declares that any Particular instances of the innocent perishing are solely due to the bombardment of bouses from which a Russian detachment had been subjected to a fusilade. The commander of the detachment removed the women and children from these houses to a shelter encampment, whence they were conveyed to the town by peaceable inhabitants escorted by Russian soldiers. The officer commanding the latter was treacherously killed. Subsequently the Consul-General informed the Governor and the chief mullah that disarmament of the people was a pre-requisite to peace negotiations, adding : "We will not tolerate the presence of armed spectators in the streets and on the roofs."

Placards were posted throughout Tabriz demanding the immediate surrender of arms. Twenty Persian Cossacks, under the Consul-General's instructions, patrolled the Christian quarteri. The Consul-General further says that he sent troops to a spot where a number erf Russian soldiers had bean killed. The bodies of the latter were found reduced to cinders. There were indications that some of these found burned had apparently not been dead, but only severely wounded.