Ext 5317/41(S) 'Co-ordination of sabotage + subversive activities in the Middle East' [‎11r] (22/67)

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(This telegram is of particul^fh S^<?l , e<T 7 *“arrd ^hould be IMMIRECT
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FROL POHBiaiT OPFl fe Tpj
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No. 56 PRIOR
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5443
SPDCI/iL (]
of state )
!>3r
l 27th August, 1941.
D. 6.15 p.m.
27th August, 1941.
.Repeated to Bagdad
No.
832.
% n Itjf.l’. 'ey ^T*hv , .’T
Angora
No.
1904
^ ? i-e
Tehran
No.
573
Mo scow
•
1118
£:• ’ Cj. (- LI g 0 ;
Government
of India'10324
hCST 3 ECHST
1 4W6
Your telerrrambTo . 45 Limit (of August 13th: subversive
activities Liddle East;.
Following for Minister of State.
2. Careful consideration has been given to your telegram
under reference by all the Departments concerned.
4. I will now deal with points in your telegram under reference
in order .
5. Paragraph 1 of your telegram. I should lil:e to .be
represented on sub-committee and suggest that member of staff of
His Majesty’s Erfbsssy at Cairo should sit on it for consultation on
political aspects of any.problems discussed. He could refer to me
for instructions or guidance where necessary,* j^ou will no doubt be
able in consultation with Mis majesty 1 s Ambassador to devise some
machinery for this purpose.
6 . Paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 5 of your.telegram. I.have seen
correspondence in question and outgoing telegrams from Mar Office
were drafted in consultation with Foreign Office.
3. In the first place we rugt explain that Soviet Government,
although now our Allies, have not abandoned in their relations with
us suspicion of i.iotives of foreign governments which has always
been characteristic of them and they are not receptive of our advice
in matters which concern their internal affairs. Your proposal,
therefore, that we should suggest that they should make some.:
concessions to Caucasian Republics and Armenians presents insuperable
difficulty.• Any suspicion that we are dealing with the Dashnaks
(and goviet Government are very likely to hear of it since their
intelligence system is good, would have worst possible effect.
Turkish Government for their part, in spite of recent joint Anglo-
Soviet assurances to them, remain extremely suspicious of Russians,
whom they regard as hereditary enemies, and of our alliance with
them. It is, I fear, out of the question to hope .that-they can be
induced to tage any action in matter under discussion for sake of
helping Russians against Germans, more especially since they would
be terrified of German.reactions. In general we feel that results
which can be expected from your proposals are unlikely to outweigh
grave political and military .objection to irrita-ting Russians and
alienating Turks.
7 *, ^ aratira ? ils 6 ’ , 7 an(i ^ and paragraph 10 (b) of your telegram
ueal with questions oi Dashna.xs and attitude of ourselves and Soviet
and Turkish Governments towards them. His Majesty’s Ambassador
Moscow emphatically endorses view already held here and makes it clear
that «n,v r'nTvhan'hs wi-hT-i r\Qo"h-n_ . .. . ^ . .
r co-onera
R£Co. POt.1bfcPr
tion in various areas which he
l Though we appreciate that
hopes will later extend to
contact with Gashnaxts would be
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