File 3443/1914 Pt 2 'German War: German emissaries to Afghanistan' [‎36r] (78/490)

CONFIDENTIAL
A
I
Meshed Diary
No. 37 for the week ending September 11, 1915.
Persian Officials. I am informed that the Karguzar is to be recalled. For the
last week or so he has been lying in his andarun professing to be unwell, but he has
visited the Governor-General once or twice on urgent business connected with the
intrigues of both, and on September 9th he was seen driving to visit the Mutawalli
Bashi, who is a party to these intrigues, looking particularly well. As the Kar
guzar is doing no work and the Governor-General holds no communication with
either Consulate-General, business with Persian officials is at a standstill. Most of
the Heads of Departments and specially the Commander of the Troops are busily
intriguing against the Governor-General, who has disgusted all by his neglect of duty
and open venality. The Governor-General is attempting to get the Commander of
the Troops dismissed, but it is to be hoped that he will himself be removed.
The robber, Muhammad Khurshabadi, has been appointed Chief of the Road
Police between Fakhr-i-Daud and Sabzawar on the Tehran road, and has received
the title of Khan.
Persian Affairs. —The democrats have recently agreed to demand the dismissal
of the Governor-General and have sent a telegram to Tehran to that effect. They
are also attempting to obtain the dismissal of the head of the provincial Court of
Justice, whose own subordinates are intriguing against him. The democrats have
recently been talking about the presence of foreign troops in Persia, but have wisely
decided that nothing can be done against them without disciplined troops, citing the
case of undisciplined Arabs in Mesopotamia who, according to them, numbered
200,000 and lost 40,000 killed when they attempted to face regular troops.
Russian Affairs. —At a drinking party at a shrine about six miles from the town,
Mir Mahdi, a Russian subject, shot Zain-ul-Abidin, another Russian subject, in the
course of a dispute regarding a prostitute. The injured man is still alive and Mir
Mahdi has been arrested.
Cossacks sent from Meshed and Turbat-i-Haidari toNishabur unfortunately
missed a caravan of Shirazis bringing arms to Meshed. The pilgrims are said now to
be selling their arms in villages on their route, and to Muhammad Khurshabadi.
The Shirazi pilgrims who were disarmed at Turbat-i-Haidari are now on their way
back to Shiraz, and are said to be troublesome to travellers on the road.
It is reported that 400 Cossacks are to be sent to Sabzawar.
German Intrigues. —One of the Persians, a Chinarani, arrested at the house of
the Austrian dentist, has been detained as a German Agent.
News from Turbat-i-Haidari. —It is reported that a German doctor who was in
Tabas left the place only two days before the arrival of the Cossacks.
Colonel Scouratt has returned to Turbat-i-Haidari.
The Karguzar at Turbat-i-Haidari, acting under instructions from Tehran,
has strongly protested against the arrest of M. Eger by the Russian Consul. The
Consul has given the Karguzar an answer which will probably end the affair.
Cossacks are now stationed at Tun, Bushruya, Isfak, Dih-i-Muhammad, and
Tabas.
As I had reason to believe that the Russian Consul was wilfully withholding
information from Colonel Gushchin, I ordered the agent to arrange to see ( olonel
Gushchin every day and asked the latter always to have an interpretei at hand at
the hour fixed. I have received a most grateful letter from Colonel Gushchin, but
these squabbles between Russian officials hamper work very much.
News from Kanz. —The Kanz district is much disturbed o\v ing to the quarrel
between the Barbaris and Taimuris. The Governor, Haji Shuja-ul-Mulk, lias
ordered every fourteen families in Kariz to engage a man with a rifle to protect their
l.
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