File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎251r] (133/280)

The explanation of this animosity is given by this late employee
of the Persian Government himself in a letter addressed to
O’Connor, dated March 4 , 1915 . “I did my best to serve
English interests in Fars.“ All levers were used by O’Connor
to bring this servant of English interests in Persia to Shiraz.
’’Your Min. and Churchilli) both told me that you 1 2 ) were
nnstantly hammering away" to have me returned to Ears
There is no doubt that your Min. is willing if he can find awayi
Hope you will succeed in ousting the G. G. 3 ) soon/'
(Letter from Merrill to the British Consul at Shiraz of
July 8 , 1915 .)
Thus nothing remained for the “strong man“ at Ears
but to settle down to the idea of these uncomfortable Swedes
who could not understand that England’s welfare is identical
with that of all the other nations. He telegraphs in a fit
of bad temper on March 5 , 1915 , to his Minister: ”1 trust
that if the Swedes are to remain it may be impressed upon
officers in Ears that not only should they maintain attitude
of strictest neutrality whatever their own individual sympathies
may be but that it is their duty to discourage all pro-German
and Turkish propaganda amongst their native officers and
men and to take active steps to suppress agitators and to
ensure preservation of order . . . .“
If anything could contribute to the elimination of the
last spark of sympathy for England felt by the Gendarmerie,
it was the treatment which the English diplomatists and their
Belgian henchmen were meting out to that force in the following
months. Merrill at Teheran registers these events gleefully
in his letters to O’Connor.
April 14 th , 1915 . ’’The gendarmerie is five months behind
in pay and the police 100 000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. behind in pay “
P. S. Townley and Korostovetz have continued opposing
each other up to the last minute except that they agreed on
getting the Swedes out."
1 ) The Dragoman of the English Legation.
2 ) O’Connor.
') Governor General.