File 3516/1914 Pt 9 'German War: Persia' [‎136r] (276/618)

* Amir Habibnlia Khan.
in the south of Persia anarchists hold sway. He is also of opinion that
German plan is to undermine authority of Persian Government to point when
it will be incapable of maintaining a semblance of order, to render position
of our Consuls, &c., in Persia so precarious that they will have to be withdrawn
and finally that plau aims at expelling legation itself from Tehran.
Addressed to Poreign Office, sent to Government of India, Petrograd and
Basrah.
128
Telegram, No. 174J5 B , dated the 29th (received 30th) August 1915.
From—The Hon'ble Lieutenant-Colonel Sir P. Z. Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.X.,
Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Culf, Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla.
I would invite your attention to Tehran telegram 298 addressed to
Foreign Office.
For Consul to leave Shiraz or to make preparations to do so would, I
respectfully submit, be a great mistake. He is not alone there. At Shiraz
there is also a British community which includes ladies and children if I am
not mistaken. If our people did leave Shiraz where, except to Ispahan, could
they go ? Surely by remaining in Consulate under guard they run less risk.
Enemy’s objective is Bushire. To judge from reports of Consul at Shiraz
there does not appear to be any lively reason to expect trouble there. Kawam
will probably assist Consul. Governor-General would probably not allow
Consul or British Community to be harmed for sake of his own-skin. The
withdrawal of our Consul from Shiraz would have worst effect possible on
situation generally.
I venture to suggest that Governor-General should be warned that he
himself will suffer personally should any harm come to any of our people.
Addressed to Government of India, sent to Foreign Office, Bushire and
Tehran.
129
Kharita An important letter usually sent in an elaborate textile pouch, dispatched as part of the royal or diplomatic correspondence of rulers and elites. , No. 19 P. O.—A, dated Simla, the t 27th August 1915.
From—His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General of India,
To—His Majesty the Amir* of Afghanistan, G.C.B., G.C.M.G. [Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade).
After compliments .—As promised in my letter, dated the 25th August 1915
(corresponding to 13th Shawal 1333 Hijra), I now furnish Your Majesty with
further information regarding the party of alien conspirators who crossed into
Afghanistan via Chah Big. It appears from the detailed report of the British
Consul at Sistan that this party was constituted as follows v —
(а) Six Germans, including three named Fischer, Litten and Frederich.
( б ) Two self-styled Indian Princes whose identity is not known but
who are obviously impostors.
{c) Two or three Turks; one said to be named Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Nasib, and another
Kasim Beg.
(<2) A Mulla, suspected to be a notorious fire-brand, named Muham
mad Barkatullah, who was formerly employed iu Japan, wffiere
his revolutionary views brought him into disgrace.
(e) A so-called Kabuli artillery officer, named Mir Mast; believed to
be Mir Mast Afridi, a Jemadar belonging to an Indian regiment
who, in the face of the enemy, deserted his post of duty in France
in the most cowardly fashion.