File 3443/1914 Pt 3 'German War: Afghanistan and Persia; German agents; British troops in East Persia' [‎51v] (113/345)

4
not know what orders those officers received. He presumes that Niedermayer
got orders, probably from the Turkish General ^ Staff, to operate indepen
dently, but in conjunction with Turkish forces in Persia. He received a
letter from Niedermayer informing him that he, Niedermayer, was in
command of the expedition, and directing him during convalescence
to act as transport officer in Baghdad, to the expedition, which had
already set out. Prom that time until his arrival at Ispahan in August
he acted under Medermayer’s orders. At Ispahan Seiler showed him a
document by which Niedermayer, who had already proceeded to Afghanistan,
appointed him, Seiler, his representative with the remainder of his expe
dition. Winckelmann does not know what Niedermayer’s orders are.
Question (c).—Winckelmann does not know what funds they have at
their disposal. They took a large number of big sealed boxes of gold to Aleppo
from Constantinople. There the boxes were handed over to Eaouf Bey by the
latter’s order, and Raouf Bey handed them over to the German Consulate at
Baghdad. The amount was at least £50,000 short. W inckelmann took with
him to Kermanshah six or eight boxes of treasure—amount unknown—and
handed them over to Schunemann, the Consul. Each officer taking a convoy
along carried a certain amount of treasure. The treasure was always in gold
and two boxes went to a mule load. In addition to this the expeditions were
financed with bills bought in Baghdad, which were cashed at the places they
were drawn on.
Question (/)•—Winckelmann does not know if the Persian Government
has been assisting the Germans in Persia. Wherever he has gone he has
exchanged calls with the officials and was invited to a banquet at Kermanshah
on the occasion of the Shah’s coronation. The expeditions were independent
of the help of Persian officials and purchased whatever transport and supplies
they required in the various bazaars. They were everywhere received with
enthusiasm, notables riding out miles to meet them, populace standing at the
gates and presents being offered them on arrivah They received no help from
the Gendarmerie beyond the usual Consular escorts. The Swedish officers
at Kermanshah were Sonneson and, he thinks, Westfal, and at Ispahan Major
Gelandar.
Questioner)- —Winckelmann has not seen any machine guns himself, nor
any guns, as he was always with the advance party. He heard in September
from Armourer Prederich that some mountain guns—number unknown—and
ten machine guns were expected in Ispahan. At the time he left Kerman
they had not yet arrived (beginning of January 1916). He was not able to
ascertain from the main body whether they had arrived as they were not able
to send cypher telegrams between Kerman and Ispahan as the Persian Govern
ment had not given permission. He did hear that Wagner had taken two
or four mountain guns and ten loads of ammunition into Afghanistan.
Niedermayer had no guns of any kind with him, but several convoys have
got through near Meshed into Afghanistan and may have taken guns with
them. He does not know what guns may be following into Persia.
There is a wireless installation at Kabul taken there by W ilhelm Paschen
in August 1915. Another station is to be at Herat but Winckelmann does not
know if it has yet arrived there (i.A, the installation). There is a station at
Ispahan which has been working since the summer of 1915. The station at
-The sending part is expected. Kemian is able to receive but not to
send 11 '. This station had been taken to
Khabis and was there when Winckelmann left Khabis. It marches with
the expedition and is erected when the halt is sufficiently long. Similar
installations are with the other expeditions. These are field wireless installations.
There are to be more powerful and permanent installations established at
Kermanshah, Ispahan (see above) and Kerman.
^Wincklemann’s expedition has had no news from Afghanistan since Augus
191o, the reason being that they have been on the march most of the time,
News has been received from the Eiffel Tower and Nauen, the latter of whicb
speaks at midnight.
Question (h). The object of the expedition to Afghanistan was comniun^
cated to Neidermayer, and by him to Seiler. They both refused to make W