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'Expenditure on Malleson Mission and troops in East Persia, 1918 to 1921' [‎12r] (23/34)

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The record is made up of 1 file (17 folios). It was created in 1921. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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2. Difficulty of communications precludes maintenance and also effective military support should
this become necessary. s n >
•>. \\ nli the knowledge at our disposal, therefore, it would not seem a practical proposition to
despatch the organisation you suggest. Hut we think it would be advisable to make all preparations in
regard to personnel, etc., so that, in case a demand should arise, we should be able to proceed without
delay. l
Have you any suggestions as to suitable officers?
4. Finally, before such mission was actually embarked on, it would probably be for consideration
whether the Amir should not be taken into our confidence.
an
are men
4—/Mr;/ram from Secretary of State to Viceroy, Foreign Department, dated 2bth January 1918.
Foreign Secret. Your Army Department telegram No. 310, dated 8th January. Turkestan. War
Office consider that in view of proposed intimate connection between Turkestan and Causasus, see Meshed
telegram No. 6, dated 10th January, preparations and despatch of suitable Mission to former should be
undertaken without delay. Absence of regular Government regarded as argument for, rather th
against, Mission, and effective military support not considered essential provided officers chosen
of initiative and enterprise, and are plentifully supplied with funds. Officers should be accompanied if
possible, by persons qualified to conduct Muhammadan propaganda in favour of Allies, and every
endeavour should be made to exploit anti-Bolshevik and pro-autonomous sentiments disclosed
teles T i".,, , ..
W
E
Mi
i lease submit definite proposals with least possible delay. Preliminary arrangements should be
made at once as proposed in your telegram.
5—Telegram from Viceroy, Army Department, to Secretary of State for India, dated
2)id February 1918.
1251
Reference to your unnumbered telegram dated 25th Januarv.
To deal with the problem proposed by the War Office, it is considered by us that the best results
would, be attained by establishing two centres from which, as opportunity offered, missions or emissaries
could be sent into Russian Turkestan ; the one at Meshed dealing with all the country west of Oxus and
tlie plain country of Bokhara, the other based on Kashgar dealing with Ferghana and Samarcand in
wdnch provinces autonomy appears to be commenced. A double base of operations has the obvious
-advantage that if one line is to be abandoned, work on the other can still proceed.
Secondly, the following considerations have induced us to deal with this problem from two directions
Meshed is more accessible from India by road and telegraph ; lies close to the west portion of area it is’
desired to influence, and the presence there of our Consul and Military Attache should facilitate the
-organisation of an expanded system and movement of our agents where it may be considered desirable
On the other hand, without entering Afghanistan, which is not now expedient, move across Transcaspia
to the Oxus and Bokhara is practically restricted to the railways, and these, so far as we know are in
hands of the Maximalists, vide Redl’s telegram repeated M.I. under C.G.S., No. 7102, dated 27th January.
Kashgai is less accessible than Meshed, but the well-established cousulate there under Macartney
should prove very valuable for enabling us to establish touch through agencies with representatives of
the provinces which concern us. and also as a convenient centre from which to provide agents and funds
if this suggestion commends itself to the Government. We do not conceive that any opposition would
be offered by Chinese Government.
Thirdly, to take charge of Meshed Mission, we propose to send General Malleson, who is on leave in
this country. He has a wide theoretical knowledge of Central Asia from having served for several years
in the Intelligence Branch at Army Headquarters, and has special qualifications as an organiser of
secret service. Steps can be taken to define his position vis-a-vis Grey and Redl, whose headquarters are
now at Meshed. * ^
Fourthly, we are considering Lieutenant-Colonel Dew for charge Kashgar Mission. He has previous
knowledge of the Gilgit Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , which should be helpful and is otherwise well qualified for work in front
•of him.
Fifthly, we cannot provide subordinates as fully qualified in languages as we would wish but are
selecting officers otherwise fitted for the duties to be performed, and will officially provide suitable
travelling companions to assist these officers in their journeys and work.
Sixthly, the possibility of obtaining persons qualified for Mohamedan propaganda is being examined
Was doubtful utility of natives of India for the work, and will probably have to draw our agents from
close to the area of operations.
Seventhly, preliminary action on the above lines is in progress pending your concurrence
6 .—Telegram from Secretary of State for India to Viceroy, Foreign Department, dated 7th March 1918.
My telegram of 15th February. Turkestan mission. His Majesty’s Government agree that decision
as to mission should be deferred pending receipt of Amir's reply to your personal letter, and that whole
question should then be reconsidered. Please telegraph summary of letter as soon as received With
regard to final sentences of your telegram of 12th February, His Majesty’s Government would not protest
■or intervene if Amir reoccupied Panjdeh or other territory formerly Afghan, but consider such action
should be taken entirely on his own initiative and without British instigation.
1—Telegram from Viceroy to Secretary of State for India, Foreign Department, dated 21st March 1918.
Secret. Your telegram of the 16th ultimo. Russian Turkestan. We have had no reply as vet from
Amir. But as selected officers are now here awaiting orders and weeks must elapse before they could

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Content

This previously secret file, compiled by the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , contains various papers relating to expenditure on the Malleson Mission and troops in East Persia between 1918 and 1921.

The file opens with a note about the contents of the file, and is followed by an India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Political Department Memorandum and a memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Correspondence regarding expenditure is then included which dates from after the Chancellor's memorandum (November 1919) until January 1921.

There are two appendices. Appendix I contains correspondence on the subject which was exchanged prior to the Chancellor's memorandum. Appendix II provides copies of the main military and political telegrams which are referred to in the memoranda and the later correspondence regarding expenditure. At the end of the file is a copy of a separate telegram from the Viceroy, Army Department, to the Secretary of State for India dated August 1919 (folios 16-17).

The main correspondents throughout the file are the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , the Treasury, the War Office (including the Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill), the Secretary of State for India (Edwin Samuel Montagu), and the Viceroy, Army Department.

Extent and format
1 file (17 folios)
Arrangement

The content of the main file is arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. The content of the appendices is also arranged in chronological order within each appendix.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 17; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'Expenditure on Malleson Mission and troops in East Persia, 1918 to 1921' [‎12r] (23/34), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/36, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100035604843.0x000018> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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