File 52/1912 Pt 3 'Persia Diaries' [‎129r] (268/1128)

CONFIDENTIAL.
I
Meshed Diary No. 27, for the week ending the 6th July 1918.
/
1 . Persian officials. —The attitude of His Excellency the Governor General
remains friendly in the extreme. I have referred to him during the week certain
matters concerning democrat intrigues, notably the recall to Tehran by telegram
of the Ma’tamid-ul-Wizarah, the leader of the cm£i-democrat society known
as the Ranjbaran , and he has dealt with them according to my suggestions
without hesitation : having, for example, telegraphed at once to Tehran asking
that the Ma’tamid should not be transferred.
2 . Shaji-us-Saltanah left during the week to take up his appointment as
Governor of Sarakhs (paragraph 2 last week).
3. Shahzadah Shuja-us-Sultan (paragraph 3 of Diary No. 25) also left for
Kuchan, having paid me a cordial visit of farewell during which he asked me to
let him know at once in case we required anything done. He has promised to
keep an eye on the Russian “ commercial mission ”, regarding whom, however, the
latest reports are more re-assuring. A small force has been despatched to
Kuchan by the Governor General with orders to capture and bring in certain
robbers, and to confiscate the arms spoken of in paragraph 3 last week.
4. Persian affairs (local). —The famine relief work is now nearly at an end.
The superior class of bread is now purchasable at 3 krans per man, and our num
bers have fallen to 3,000 or so daily. We propose to discontinue relief measures
from the first of the next Muhammadan month.
5. The notorious ruffian Ibrahimzadah who was concerned in the murder of the
Rais-i-Nazmiah in May last year : the attack upon the house of the Najd-us-Sal-
tanah in November last: and various movements of a more or less cm/i-British
nature within the last two years, was executed by order of the Governor General
on the 1 st instant.
6 . The preacher mentioned in paragraph 5 last week and previous reports
has at last yielded to the advice of the Governor General. His last address
contained a favourable reference to the conduct of our troops in Meshed
and other remarks complimentary to ourselves. The secret meeting of Mullas
held during the past week was also marked by cordial references to British policy
and treatment of alien religions, and much was said in condemnation of the
Germans and German methods of dealing with subject races.
7. The Karguzar of Meshed, in reply to a telegram from the Foreign
Office enquiring into the subject of military preparations which are taking place
in Afghanistan, gives an explanation which coincides almost exactly with our own
information. He says that the Amir is merely preparing for the possibility of an
attack by one or more of the belligerent Powers upon his territories, and adds that
he may possibly desire to assist the Amir of Bokhara.
8 . Cholera has not yet appeared in Meshed though the report of its exist
ence at Kuchan ^confirmed, and it has advanced some distance in this direction.
I have telegraphed to India for a large amount of serum for inoculation, and we are
also trying to obtain some from Askabad where there is said to be a large quantity
available. Frequent meetings of the Sanitary Commission take place, but Captain
Sinton is rather in despair as there seems to be nothing to be done regarding the
protection of the water supply.
Typhus and typhoid fevers are still rife in the town and there are cases of both
among the troops : while two more men of my escort are suffering from the former
disease, though fortunately each has a mild attack. There is also much relapsing
fever both among the troops and the populace, and yesterday a case of small-pox -
was reported in the 19th Punjabis. Several cases of glanders have occurred among
the horses of the 28th Light Cavalry.
9. Persian affairs, (general). The Governor-General has received a telegram
from the people of Kuchan thanking him for having ejected Sfiuja-ud-Daulah
paragraph 3 last week) from the post of Governor.