Peace in Azerbaijan
It is to be hoped that the settlement between the Persian Govern- ment and Azerbaijan is as satisfactory as the first reports suggest. That the general outlook in Persia has improved substantially, temporarily at any rate, is clear. There is no doubt that the country has now been completely evacuated by Russian troops, as it was some time earlier by British and American, and to the formal terms of the agreement reached between Russia and Persia no exception could be taken. The grant of an oil concession to the Soviet Union is quite reasonable, provided the conditions are reasonable, and the decision that the future of Azerbaijan should be treated as a Persian domestic problem was on the face of it entirely proper. It is in accordance with this decision that the new agreement with Azer- baijan has been made. The province, which had set up what claimed to be a semi-independent government, reverts to the status of a province ; its " Premier," M. Pishevari, retires into private life, and the central Government at Teheran has appointed as Governor of the province Dr. Javid, who was Minister of the Interior under M. Pishevari ; the so-called " Parliament " of Azerbaijan becomes the provincial council pending new elections to the latter. Most of the finances raised in the province will remain in its own hands and its militia is absorbed into the Persian national army. All this appears admirable, for Azerbaijan, which would never submit to detailed dictation in matters of administration from Teheran, retains a large measure of autonomy without in any way impairing the fundamental integrity of Persia. At the same time these are early days to draw conclusions. That the effervescence of the Tudeh party in Azerbaijan was closely associated with Russian activity it would be idle to deny. The vital question is what Russia thinks of the new settlement, whether she accepts it as final, and to what degree Russian influence in Azerbaijan will be active. Till all that is known—and it is not known yet—judgement on the settlement must be reserved.
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