File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎289r] (209/280)

Letter from Sir Valentine Chirol to the British Consul in
Shiraz, Maior O’Connor, gth February igi^.
H. M. S. Northbrook
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
his morning we could just see in the dim distance the
outline of the Koh-tals above Bushire and I thought of you
sitting I fear rather disconsolate in your lonely outpost with
nothing much to do but to keep things going and watch and
wait until Armageddon decides the fate of Pars and Iran together
with that of many mightier empires. It is a wonderful time
to have lived through, even as a mere spectator, though one
cannot help fretting sometimes that one is unable to play a
more active part in the drama. To me, of course, who have
for so many years past made rather a hobby of the Gulf, this
has been an extraordinarily interesting cruise though it is
after all merely a small side show. I forget when I last wrote
to you — some time during the autumn — but whenever it was,
nothing was more remote from my thoughts than that I should
be so soon travelling once more over these familiar waters
with another Viceroy to carry a stage further towards the
appointed goal the policy to which Curzon first gave definite
shape and form when I was with him here eleven years ago.
But what a crowd of difficult problems must arise out of every
new development. We went up in the Lawrence as far as Kurna
and from the outposts saw the Turkish camp on the far horizon.
They will doubtless soon be shifted out of that — though the
floods are beginning to make operations equally difficult for
both sides — but where are we ultimately to stop ? It will be
the problem of Persia over again, for even if we want to stop
at 1 ) what chance is there of being able to set up any
permanent authority beyond our line, whatever it may be,
which will be adequate to maintain any decent measure of
law and order?
However it is no use looking now beyond the immediate
future, and we have every reason to congratulate ourselves
Viceroy’s Camp, India, Febr. 9. 15.
r 1 ^ar O’Connor.
) The word omitted is difficult to decipher, perhaps Baghdad is meant.