File 3516/1914 Pt 14 'German War: Persia; general situation' [‎239v] (483/532)

B2
T think however that my opinion is founded on fair deduction and not
mere surmise. The salient facts which are on record I will now mention-
m On June 26th I learnt from His Majesty’s Minister that one party of
Germans had left Ispahan for Birjand and Tabas and that another party had
left Yazd for Kerman.
(2) From time to time other parties have arrived in Kerman.
(3) Germans in Kerman have been tampering with Sistani traders and
asking them to co-operate with them, when they approach Sistan this winter
(in this connection see my telegram 12 F.).
(4) Daud Khan, a German emissary, was arrested on road to Bam by
Governor-General, Kerman.
(5) About August 15th a letter was intercepted by British Agent, Turbat-
i-Haidari The writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. was a German in charge of operations having their
base in Tabas. The scheme of the Germans, which he adumbrates, appears
to be that first step is for a deputation to enter Afghanistan, and that
subsequently his own contingent and an Afghan force should co-operate
against Meshed.
The conjecture does not seem unreasonable that Kerman supervisor of
operations in south hopes similarly that Afghans will co-operate against Sistan
in the first instance and then British Baluchistan.
(6) A large party escorted by 80 Europeans on September 1st was being
prepared in Ispahan for despatch in an eastward direction. While there is a
chance of their being interned there I doubt the probability of this party
entering Afghanistan.
(7) Large parties left Ispahan on September 6th, September 7th»
September 8th “ ostensibly making for Kerman but in all probability for
Sistan.”
(8) See Ispahan telegram, September 8th. Herr Nidermayer seems to
have been formerly nominated as German Consul for Sistan.
(9) On September 10th I heard unofficially from local Bank Manager
that all Englishmen were about to take their departure from Ispahan for
Ahwaz.
(10) Reinforcements from Kermanshah are still reaching Ispahan.
Germans, it seems to me, have an easy task to clear all Central Persian cities
of Englishmen. After Ispahan, Germans will make Yazd, Kerman and
smaller telegraph stations too hot for them. Bunder Abbas can be afforded
protection from His Majesty’s ships. Bunder Abbas is probably not their
objective. Undoubtedly it is German aspiration to lead an army of Afghans
into India. Is it conceivable that they will leave Sistan untouched on way ?
Moreover Sistan once in their possession can be used as a lever in two ways. It
will be made over to Amir of Afghanistan as a gwd g'wo for alliance. It
will he taken away from Persian Government if she continues to observe an
attitude of neutrality.
I have received following news subsequent to despatch of my telegram
No. 210 C.: —
(1) Paschen has made arrangements for collection of supplies down the
Persian-Afghan Frontier for a long distance, (2) one or more Germans have
been lurking in Naiband and it is within the bounds of possibility that they
are trying to enter into communication with Sistan. At present I am pre
cluded from interfering with operations of Germans over there.
Our force in Sistan is dangerously week in my opinion. We ought, I
think, to hold the whole trade route in great strength np to Meshed, not only
because telegraph line is an important factor, hut also because a natural line
of defence is offered to us by the presence of “ Lut” across which, if we hold
five or six points strongly, no German invasions should succeed. We should
at the same time have to be on the alert for attacks from south and east.
Repeated to Tehran.