ملف ٣١٣٦\١٩١٤ الجزء ١ "الحرب الألمانية. الوضع في مناطق شبه الجزيرة العربية الخاضعة للحكم العثماني والخليج الفارسي" [و‎‎١‎٣] (٦٧٢/٣٤)

12
i?
From Secretary of State to Viceroy, 17th October 191.4.
^ Private. My private telegram of 25th August. Public statement as to
Turkev. Following modifications should be made in text. In first para
graph omit word “ has ” between words “ Breslau ” and “ aroused.’ At end
of third paragraph after words “ shipping collected there add following :
.. mi i in i c n rl to rlofianoA nt int.Arnati on a treatv.
of the Ottoman ^Empire ” omit word “have” between “ His Majesty’s
Government” and “not only intimated,” and make consequential^ gram
matical alterations. Immediately before final paragraph beginning Grea
Britain, the greatest Mohammedan Power ’ insert following new para
graph :—
“ In spite of these assurances the attitude of Turkey towards Great
Britain became increasingly provocative. Evidence continued to reach is
Maiestv’s Government of military preparations in Syria which could have
had no' other purpose than to facilitate an attack on Egypt, and of active
propaganda carried on by Turkish and German agents among the Bedouin
Arabs in regions adjoining the Egyptian frontier. ^ Similar intrigues were
set on foot elsewhere and reports were even received of the despatch of
Turkish emissaries to India with the object of stirring up anti-British
feelings among Indian Mohammedans.
[Following ^paragraph is only to be included in published statement on
receipt by you of tetegram direct from Cheetham, Cairo, who has been
instructed by Foreign Office to let you know whether ^ he concu ™
publication;] Striking illustration ol extent to which intrigues have bee
carried on is furnished by the case of a German employe in Alexandria Utp
Police who lately returned from leave via Constantinople, saying that le
had been excused from military service He was arrested on suspicion on
landing, and on his person were found a detailed map oi Suez Cana , c
sheet of numbered cypher messages concealed m his tarboosh and othei
compromising correspondence. He had also entrusted to member of ship
company two boxes of detonators for exploding dynamite and mtro-g.ycerme.
[End of conditional paragraph.]
[Statement continues] “Further, a steady stream of German ofiicers anc
men, both naval and military, together with all kinds of war material, has
flowed unceasingly into Constantinople, winch has been converted to a
mients and purposes into a German military base. German ofiiceis are
known to have’penetratecl far into the interior of Turkish Emp.re m the
endeavour to stir up agitation against Great Biitain and_ hei AJ e ; . -
these movements, it is impossible to doubt, have been carried out v it i a,
direct cLnivanc; of the Ottoman Authorities, and can point to only one
conclusion.” > 1 11t
His Majesty’s Government do not consider that moment nas actually
arrived for publication of statement. But situation is most critical, ana
Your Excellency should be prepared to take action at any moment. 1 cure
repeat alterations in text to Townley at Teheran.