'Collection of private Telegrams between the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy, prior to the Outbreak of War with Turkey' [‎4v] (8/8)

8
No. 20.
Tclcjram f rom Viceroy to Secretary of State, dated 20th September 1914.
Private. Indian troops. Two private telegrams of yesterday.
At the present time it seems desirable that it should be clearly under
stood at home, and even published, what troops India is providing to meet
present emergency.
We have already despatched over seas, or have mobilised and are
waiting for transport to send, 1 Cavalry Division, 3 intact Infantry Divisions
and the equivalent of 1 Infantry Division scattered in Europe, Egypt, and
East Africa. Of Imperial Service Troops 1'] brigades of Infantry and
1} brigades of Cavalry are being despatched. As regards Artillery the
3 intact Divisions take with them, in addition to their own, 4 brigades of
Field Artillery, and 1 have further offered 18 complete batteries to be replaced
by Territorial Artillery. In addition to the above we are sending Keguhir
and Volunteer units such as 15-pounder and Maxim batteries, Railway Com
panies. Sappers and Miners, and Camel Corps. This is already, I think, a
handsome contribution from India.
I have now put Kitchener’s proposition before the Commander-in-Chief
and we have arrived at the following decision : out of 52 Regular British
battalions in India we have already sent or are sending 11 over seas. We
must retain 9 battalions for the 3 Divisions on the Frontier, since we cannot
regard Territorials as fit to cope with Pathans in hill warfare, and we
consider maintenance of 1st, 2nd, and 4th Divisions intact on the Frontier
as the bed-rock of military security in India. On this point Commander-in-
Chief and I are absolutely of one mind. We are willing to send home
remaining 32 Regular British battalions and in addition 20 excellent Indian
battalions. If there is any doubt as to accepting 20 Indian battalions it
will be necessary, in the interests of internal security, to reduce number of
British battalions that we now offer to send. The formations in which these
troops should go can be discussed later. We shall then have no British
battalions in India except the 9 on the Frontier, and we shall have sent over
seas exactly half of our Indian Infantry, viz., 69 out of 138 battalions. In
return we must ask for 43 battalions of Territorials, and these must begin
to arrive before the British battalions sail. Indian troops can start earlier.
The danger zone is Afghanistan and the Tribes, and against these we
must always be fully prepared, but 1 have no feeling of anxiety as to
internal security in the resjt of India if British battalions are withdrawn,
provided that more Indian regiments go over seas and a greater number of
Territorials are sent to replace British units.
His Majesty’s Government must remember that no such risks have ever
been taken before. We are sending away more than half our Regular Army
and we have nothing in this country to fall back upon. We cannot raise
new forces, because we have given up to the Imperial Army all our new rifles
and practically all our artillery, and owing to number of our officers given
to meet demands in England we are already very short and with no
possibility of replacing them.
Of course any idea of an expedition to Basrah will be out of the
question since we could not send Territorial Infantry and Artillery against
the Turks.
An official telegram with the substance of the above will be sent,
addressed to you.
Please thank the Prime Minister for his message and assure him that I
am sparing no effort, and am always ready even to take some risk to meet
his wishes.