ملف ٣٤٤٣\ ١٩١٤ الجزء ٣ "الحرب الألمانية: أفغانستان وبلاد فارس؛ العملاء الألمان؛ القوات البريطانية في شرق بلاد فارس" [و‎أ‎‎٤‎٤] (٣٤٥/٩٦)

[P 1419]
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From Viceroy, Foreign Department, Calcutta, 12th April 1916. A
Secret. Your telegram of the 31st March. Persia. We have consuh
Sykes who telegraphed :—
(1) No. 30 C, 6th April.—“ Present position is that I am opening up>
relations in every direction and recruiting as fast as I can handle men.
There is every reason to believe police force can be raised. Appointment of
Farman Farma to Kerman of immense importance in this respect.
“In view of instructions given by Home authorities which were, however,
issued before recent favourable turn of events, 1 strongly recommend if
mission be first employed attack Germans and rebels, the recruits for infantry
and artillery instructors, guns, &c., be left at Bunder Abbas. I am unable
to enlist mounted men locally and I should then have balance of 35 Indian
sabres available. This escort should be increased by mounted section
machine guns, squadron cavalry, and 100 infantry. Machine guns without
trained personnel are useless if considerable time for training not available.
“ With this escort I can either support Kawam or join Farman Farma, in
cither case taking with me the 500 rifles and 250,000 rounds of ammunition
already with me.”
(2) No. 32 C, 9th April.— “Total collapse of Germans and rebels will
presumably render further support to Kawam unnecessary. I suggest,
therefore, that I should march police recruits Kerman and organise force
there. Request that I may be given escort similar to that asked for in
my telegram 30 C dated 6th April and strongly recommended by Minister
at Teheran in his telegram 46 F, 8th April. It is most desirable to avoid
risk and be independent of recruits with onty few weeks’ training unfit to
defend arms and ammunition.
“ I have already recruited 300 men.”
We agree that Sykes should move forward as soon as possible and for
this purpose we have asked General Officer Commanding Force “ D ” to
despatch if possible at once to Bunder Abbas one squadron cavalry, one
section mountain guns, two companies infantry, one of which will replace
present detachment from Maskat. Whether Sykes should move to join
Kawam or Farman Farma or proceed direct to Kerman must depend on
developments of Persian situation.
We are replying separately regarding Seistan arrangements.