File 2626/1905 ‘Persia:- Military Attaché at Meshed’ [‎13v] (31/532)

7’®”
4
increased, since the Political Attach ^ ’ assisting i^thelork
time to do falls largely on me. tmen f t 0 | a Military Attache threatens to
given me in the one direction iy PI p l;tical Attach^ in another,
be more than neutralized by the loss ot y num ber of Consular cases always on
The Political Attache deals 'y* 1 the CustomS; and the Russian
hand with the Governor-General, the < o Arrears to the great detriment of
Consulate, and these have lately fallen mu an j e ’ s me at the many visits I
our traders here. My ^Political Attache ^^^jjedical Officer; he has also to
have to pay or receive, he also often ac l^ d .^ persians and ke ep himself perfectly
constantly visit and make lr lends u it I ^, ig [ ,. oiu ,, 01l an d last, but by no
sx --w«* ,or mr
sSr SSSeSStefeWi
11s;
^‘‘ThlTnteliigence work of this agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. is just at present of the highest importance
and even after the conclusion of the present war is likely to remam so
I would ask, therefore, that the Intelligence Branch may be “^ ed \
Military Attache not only with an entirely separate clerk ot his o ,
separate Sec ^ statei f en t s showing what funds are required m this agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , under
tllC ^tatement ~~(A) gives the present establishment of news-agents, the pay they
receive, and other expenses incurred for purely Intelligence Branch purposes, me udm
a clerk for the Military Attache. The pay of this clerk may seem high but it must
he remembered that he has the lives of our news-agents, or most certaml) then
liberty, in his hands and must he a picked man and absolutely trustworthy.
Statement (B) shows the present expenditure for political purposes.
The present combined Secret Service grant for this agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. is 14,40 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
I would ask that from the 1st April, 1905, the following grants may be allotted
hut
Political Secret Service grant..
Military „ ,,
Amount.
Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .
9,000
12,500
The latter would, I conclude, he found by the Intelligence Branch.
Captain Smyth is, I understand, separately addressing the Intelligence Branch
as to the individual he would wish to be sent here as his clerk.
It is for consideration whether His Britannic Majesty’s Legation at Tehran might
not be asked to share the above expenditure. The Legation seem quite willing to
place funds for Secret Service purposes at the disposal of the Consul-General here, and
though I have not myself asked His Britannic Majesty’s Minister for any money,,
the latter placed a sum of 300/. at Lieutenant-Colonel Temple’s disposal in 1901-
1902.
I would ask that early orders may kindly be passed on the questions raised
above.
I have, &c.
(Signed) C. P. MINCHIN, Lieutenant-Colonel,
His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, $;c.