File 52/1912 Pt 3 'Persia Diaries' [‎258r] (526/1128)

them of h s anfval ^ K *<> democrats at Meshed informing
from the Central S , a , bzaw " ° l n a s P ecIal mission to all branches in Khorassan
110111 tJle tentraI ^mmittee in Tehran. His work is to set matters right generally.
t- ■ ^ e i vs f r ° m Turbat-i-Haidari .—The arrival of the Russian troops from
expected to ’ 1 ^ short?/f^Meshed. detacllment ’ with these P arti e s >
troop/aml’ three oVustwrl’ca^ ““ “ & bmSh Wit]l
JVTinistpr Vlce “ Consul has a c <>Py of a telegram sent by the Foreign
JVI mstei of the Caucasian Government to M. de Bra vine ordering him not to
pioceed to Tehran to take up the post of Minister to which the Maximalists had
SCgiaWBl" , ‘“ ,v ^ h "™- “■**«“
25-A. News from Herat.—The arrival of five families of Turkomans from
toTXh , ^ T , Gul J an , is . ported. The Naib-ul-Hukumah had decided
tiiem to Kandahar forthwith m accordance with a recent order of the Amir
but they prevailed upon him to allow them to remain in Herat until the spring!
28. On the 16th January a man came to Chahar Bagh and said that he was
the bearer of a letter for the German party. The Naib-ul-Hukumah summoned
him to his presence and read the letter. Later he ordered the man to be confined
and finally had him deported to Persia via Kafir Killa. This man is believed to
be Lie baiyid Harwesh who has been sent in to Meshed (paragraph 19 above).
27. Enmity between Kazim Beg and the Austrians is increasing: on the 19th
Kazim imprisoned his servant Haji Ahmad for not beating von Gruden, which
e had ordered him to do as a sequel to a dispute over a horse. The Naib-ul-
Hukumah succeeded m effecting a temporary reconciliation.
S. 8 ; 0n the 21st Jammry Kazim Beg received a letter from Persia. On the
24th idem he and Lie Maulvi Barkat-ullah visited the Naib-ul-Hukumah who
apparently delivered to them the letter mentioned in paragraph 26 above Our
Agent has not yet succeeded in discovering the contents of these letters or the
subject ol the conversation which passed at the interview.
29. Various preparations for a journey have been made by the Austrians
and Kazim Beg during the week, and finally on the 25th von Gruden told the
Naib-ul-Hukumah during a visit which the latter paid to the Bagh-i-Kartah that
they intended to leave shortly. The Naib asked whether they had received any
special news which induced them to go. The Austrian replied that they had not
received any information but that their Mehmandar had found them a reliable
guide, one Haji Yakub of the Nurzai tribe.
. Tbe news of t!lis impending movement has been telegraphed to Sistan and
cirjand. We have not yet heard of the actual departure from Herat, but it seems
likely that they will take the Persian route.
29-A. The report of the arrival of seven Europeans at Chihil Dukhturan noted
last week now appears to be without foundation.
Meshed,
The 2nd February 1918.
W. G. GREY, Lieutenant-Colonel,
His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General
and Agent of the Government of India in Khurasan.
G. M. Press, Simla.—No. €653 F.D.—6-3-13-30-M.D.