The special correspondent of the Times at Teheran gives in
Tuesday's paper a gloomy account of the situation at Tabriz. He says that if Tabriz holds out against the troops of the Shah who are investing it thousands must die of starvation, while if it falls probably tens of thousands will be massacred. Non-combatants who may leave the town have little chance of escape, for even if they evade the bloodthirsty tribes who hold the roads, they cannot find food in the country, which is devastated for several days' march. The correspondent declares that the Nationalists in other parts of Persia do not appear to be attempting to create any diversion in favour of their besieged colleagues. In a country which is "supposed to be in revolt against oppression, injustice, anel cruelty, no one lifts a finger" to help Tabriz, which is so bravely uphold- ing the Nationalist cause. We can only hope that the corre- spondent exaggerates. If help could be rendered, the responsi- bility of those who do not trouble to stay the disaster will be nearly as great as that of the men who directly cause it. If the correspondent is not mistaken, a great sacrifice of human life in one way or another is unavoidable.
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