CRITICAL SITUATION

Chronicle (Levin), 13 May 1946, Page 5

CRITICAL SITUATION

Press Assn.

Stalemate In Negotiations PERSIA AND AZERBAIJAN

By Telegraph

-Copyrighi

Received Monday, Noon LONDoN, May 12. Tabriz radio announced tnat an orcler nas been issued to tne Azefbaijan National Army to resist by i'orce any attempt to enter uie pruvince by Government troops, wdo, says Reuter's Teneran correspondent, have quietiy mannea the entire border of tne provmce dunng the past six weeks. Government, uuopo now garrison the towns oi Sanacfsv7 Kermanshah, Hamaaan, Kazvv°m t and Pahlevi 011 a Ime 1 ylve ^ross nortn-western Persia frdm Iraq to the Caspian, cutting on: the autonomist provmct Irom the rest of the country. Unconiirmed reporua anege thai Government troops disarmed tne bociyguard of M. Pishevan, of tne Azeroaijan delegation to the Persian Government, preventing tneii return to Taoriz unle^s agreeinent was reacned. The Associated Press of Great Briiuin's Teheran correspondent says that unfavouraole liying weather delayed the return oi M. pLhevari to Azerbaijan, tnus possiDly averting or posopomng civil war. A Foreign Ministry official stated after the stalemate was reached in the negotiations that M. Pisnevari went to the airpcrt but was unabie to lake oif because of bad weather. Later he called on the Persian pnme Minister, M. Sultaneh, and expressed his willingness to re-open negotiations. An ohiwai who accompanied M. Pishevari to the airport termed the end oi the negotiations as "extremeiy criticai," and said he was convinced that armed conftict between the Azerbaijans and Persian Army was inevitaoie. The Daily Mail's Teheran correspondent reports that lvl. Saltaneh last night had. a two-hour talk with the Russian Ambassador, M. Sadchikov, during whicn he reportediy refused to make any furtlier concessions to Azeroaijan.