File 3516/1914 Pt 14 'German War: Persia; general situation' [‎137v] (279/532)

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As already reported, Haji Ali “ German! ” is believed to be half German,
bavins been (according to report) born of a German circus rider by a Moor or
Algerian. Some notes about him appear on page 40 of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Ad-
ministration Report of 1912.
Since he joined the Lingeh branch of Messrs. R. Wonckhaus and Company fly
he has always been the righthand man of the respective Managers, entering
with zest into all their nefarious schemes. He was of great assistance to
Mr. Brown in collecting (and possibly fabricating) documentary evidence in
the Abu Musa case. He also used to assist and often arrange any little arms
smuggling operations in the time of Mr. Randall and other Managers. I also
remember when Gray Pauls first started at Lingeh Haji Ali frequently used to
get up rows with their coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. , and on several occasions he tried to seize boats
loaded with shells which were brought for Messrs. Gray Paul and Company
against a loan.
He accompanied Herr Manicke to Shiraz towards the end of May, and
there is fairly good ground for supposing that when they passed through
Bastak, he put up Ali Kambari and other notorious ruffians of the district to
attack the Anglo-Persian Oil Company’s Camp at Salak on Kishm. It is,
however, impossible to prove this.
As Haji Ali considered himself a German and identified himself absolutely
with the firm of R. Wonckhaus and Company, I beg to suggest that he should
be interned in India until the end of the war in the same manner as the
superior employees of the firm.
A copy of this has been sent to His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran, and to the
Chief Political Officer, Basrah.
Enclosure.
No. 310, dated the 25th September 1915.
From—M r. W. R. Howson, His Majesty’s Vice-Consul, Lingeh,
To— Major A. P. Trevor, C.I.E., Officer on Special Duty (in the absence of the
Resident, Bushire).
With reference to my telegram No. 106, dated the 24th September 1915, I
have the honour to inform K you that on the 21st instant I received information
from two sources that Haji Ali Germani had left Lar for Lingeh. The same
night I despatched three Tangistani sowars under their chief Kaiyid Muham
mad Hussain with two local men as guides with instructions to arrest Haji Aii
who would probably be travelling in disguise, and to take him to Kung. The
party met Haji Ali disguised as a Persian at Chumpa some 20 miles north of
Lingeh on the 22nd and brought him in the same night. I rode out with a
small escort and met the party at Bardagoon and took them on to Kung where
the prisoner was handed over to the Haviidar commanding the Vice-Consulate
guard.
The same night I questioned Haji Ali and also took an inventory of his
belongings. Lnclosed herewith is a short summary of the prisoner’s statement.
It will be seen that he has given no information of value but this can be
accounted for by his fear of punishment from his own countrymen, in fact he
told one of my men that he would be killed even after the war if it were
known he had given us information.
The arrest was planned and carried out with secrecy and no one in Lingeh
had an\ inkling of it till the morning of the 23rd. The same day the Deputy
Governor wrote to me officially expressing his surprise at my action which he
said constituted a breach of Persian neutrality and requesting me to release
Haji Ali. He at the same time promised to despatch him into the interior
without delay. I replied to the effect that the reason of Haji Ali’s visit to
Lingeh was to foment trouble, and seeing that he (the Deputy Governor) was
powerless, owing to the existing relations between himself and his tufangchis,
to take the necessary measures, I had taken it up on myself to have the
man arrested. I said I calculated my action was in the interests of both the
Persian and British Governments.