If Russians Move Towards Teheran

Chronicle (Levin), 16 March 1946, Page 5

If Russians Move Towards Teheran

Press Assn.

TPvEY ALARMED AT TROOP MOVEMENTS

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Saturday, 1.5 a.m. ' LONDON, March 15. "The Persian Army is ready to fight to the last man if the Russians move towards Teheran i'rom Karaj where trainloads of troops and ammunition are arriving nightly, " said the War Minister, General Sepehod Amir Ahmedi. Interviewed after an audience with the Shah he said: "Persia has shown to the world that it is a peaceful nation, but if Russia commits an overt act not only every soldier but also every boy and girl in the streets will fight to defend the capital. " He added that the Russian garrison at Karaj has "been increased fourfold and the number of Russians in Azerbaijan have increased threefold in the past month. The Shah proposed again to present the Persian question to the United Nations. Ahmedi said the Russians had only partially evacuated the northeastern Persian towns of Semna, Shahrud and Meshed where they announced that they had begun the evacuation 011 March 2. He had reealied to Teheran the army column which the Russian troops turned back at Garmsar a fortnight ago. "It was a hopeless job for our forces to sit out there on the plains awaiting the pleasure of the Russians." The Shah was doing his utmost to maintain friendly relations with the Russians but at the same time was pressing for the immediate evacuation of the Russian trcops. The Times' Ankara correspondent says the reported advance of the Russian forces toward Lake Urmia near the Turkish-Persian froniier is alarming Turkey. The Moscow radio quotes the Tass News Agency as saying that the report that Russian troops are moving through Tahriz toward Teheran and toward the western frontier of Persia "Doesn't correspond to facts." According to a cable message from New York authoritative British quarters reported that powerful units -of the British Mediterranean Fleet, probably including aircraft carriers, are ready to joiu the Battleship Missouri in a cruise to Turkey j to carrv home the body of the former Ambassador, Mehemet Munir Artegun who died in Washington in November, 1944, says the Associatecl Press. The British declined to be identified, but the report has lent new emphasis to the apparent British and Ameriean determination to stress their friendship with Turkey.