ملف ٣٤٤٣/١٩١٤ الجزء ٢ "الحرب الألمانية: المبعوثون الألمان إلى أفغانستان" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٥] (٤٩٠/٢١٨)

v oTo hen 1 S8nt ™ y , tel ^ , : am No - 1398 B - 1 thought that Minister’s telegram
^so. 2-3 was sum total ot his recommendations. I afterwards received his tele
gram No. 247 and in view of it ventured to repeat my telegram No 1398 B
to Secretary of State.
Telegram V., dated the 16th (received l‘7th) July 1915.
From—His Majesty's Secretary of State for India, London,
To- His Excellency the Viceroy, Simla.
Please refer to Marling’s telegram No. 245, dated the 13th instant.
He has been told that His Majesty’s Government agree entirely and that
he should in concert with you take necessary action.
Telegram P., No. S. 680, dated the 17th July 1915.
From—His Excellency the Viceroy, Simla,
To—His Majesty’s Secretary of State for India, London (repeated to His Britannic
Majesty’s Minister, Tehran; Sir Percy Cox, Basrah; and Major Trevor
Bush ire).
Persia. Please see Tehran telegram 247 to Foreign Office of 14th July.
We concur in Marling’s opinion that time has arrived for strong action.
We do not agree with Marling that seizure of Mohammerah, Lingah,°Bunder
Abbas and Hormuz is desirable, but we entirely support proposal for increase
of Russian garrisons in North. By the forcible occupation of Moharomerah we
should estrange a valuable friend who has by his conduct deserved well of us,
and possibly again excite the tribes astride the Oil Company’s pipe line.
Bunder Abbas, Lingah and Hormuz present no difficulty in taking, but by
their occupation we should dissipate our strength and, as has recently-
occurred at Bushire, expose small garrisons to tribal attack; nor would
such action be very effective. In our opinion action most suitable to take
would be to assume administration of Bushire at once, take over control
of Customs House, hold revenue and disallow despatch of merchandise
into the interior of Persia. This action should be taken without intimation to
Persian authorities, who should be left to question action of His Majesty’s
Government themselves. In this way we should prove to them seriousness of
intentions of His Majesty’s Government and place onus of discussion on
Persian Government at same time. When questioned, British Minister at
Tehran might inform Persian Government that the measures taken by us at
Bushire are due to the conviction unwillingly forced upon His Majesty’s
Government that the Persian Government are no longer in a position to
maintain order in Bushire and its neighbourhood, and that the regrettable
attack made by 300 tribesmen in which tw r o British officers were killed and
several sepoys wounded and killed affords confirmation of this. Further that
it is clear to His Majesty’s Government that the Persian Government are
either unwilling or unable to prevent Southern Persia being made a base of
hostile operations against England and her allies from the fact that the
Persian Government arc permitting various armed parties of Austrians and
Germans to recruit Persian sowars and to leave Ispahan and Kerman with
supplies of arms and munitions. His Majesty’s Government is reluctantly
compelled to take such measures as it may consider necessary for the protec
tion of its ow r n interests as a situation of this kind is intolerable. But if the
Persian Government are now prepared to deal effectively and seriously with
matters which are constantly being brought to their notice, British Minister
Beceived on 25 Aii3 «bi5
IKD1A FOREIGN SECRniALi b
Letter. Ko. 80 M
Bated o- jyjJ915