File 3516/1914 Pt 18 'German War: Persia; general situation - 1916' [‎7v] (23/368)

the Spanish Minister, so as to be able to run to our assistance. This, however was
some ten days later.
On two occasions, also, M. de Etter and I were warned while at the Palace
that it would be prudent to return home by a different route.
Nevertheless, I cannot say that I had any special apprehension of an imminent
German coup until on the 21st October I received from you, Sir, the information that
the Oerman Government expected to conclude a convention with Persia within a few
days. Your subsequent telegrams pointed to the conclusion that the signature of the
alleged convention was only a matter of hours. Subsequent facts show that whatever
lopes Germany may have had of concluding a convention, its realisation was still
distant • hut at the ^ same time, although I and my Russian colleague were fairly well
satisfied that the Prime Minister was no party to any such arrangement, the attitude
of the Persian Government was more than dubious. They had just accepted our
financial support in the shape of a moratorium, but in spite of their constant
lamentations of the imperative want of money they did not draw on the moratorium
credit account opened at the Imperial Bank of Persia in their favour. The obvious
inference was that the Cabinet did not dare to commit themselves to us by acceptino-
our money. ^ ^ »
^ al ' s ° ae ® ms .probable to me that the Germans, who must have known that the
difficulties of Russia as regards the supply of munitions had been overcome, had got
wind of the resolve of the new Viceroy of the Caucasus to deal militarily if
necessary, with the Persian situation, and that they would anticipate any Russian
action by a coup in Tehran which would entail a precipitate departure of His Majesty’s
Mission from the capital. In these circumstances, and particularly in view of the
repeated reminders you sent me of the necessity of preventing the archives from
io! 1 o g in I ?^ G ? rn ? an hands ’ 1 caused the bound papers of the legation for the years
1912-1914 to be burnt. - J
1 am still wholly unable to understand why the Germans did not act. On a
the W 1 h ° 1 le circu mstances, I am convinced that at any moment between
the 18th October and the 6th November they could with the greatest ease and with a
minimum of disorder have forced the Persian Government’s hand
It is clear enough from the anxiety shown by Colonel Edwall to ascertain what
the Armenian community would do in the case of disorders that something was
anticipates, while a general sense of impending calamity pervaded the town, and a
number of peop e talked of leaving Tehran. Thus Farman Farma began to ask me
whether he should not accept the governorship of Khorasan ; Akber Mirza announced
that the Zih-us-Sultan had telegraphed to him to go to Europe ; and a young Persian
7. Sma ! Khan .’ "' ho is wed known as a strong and useful Anglophile, disappeared for a
ev\ days. As a matter of (act, however, I believe that the enemy missions were them
selves as nervous as when in July on the news that a part of the Kazvin force had
moves out of that town towards the east, they began hastily to pack their effects and
hire transport. 1 can only imagine that they feared that the Russian troops mb-ht
attempt to capture them. ^ °
On the 7th November the news that, while reinforcements were landing at Enzeli
V KueS ' a k n troo F )S w f e moving eastwards from Kazvin, put a new complexion on
a fairs Ihere was, of course the possibility that the Germans might chance an
attempt, at the eleventh hour, but lodging from the panic which the movement of a
few hundred men had produced in July when the German Minister packed up his
onging foi instant flight, the contingency seemed fairly remote,
the intelligence caused consternation to the Persian Government and Court but
strangely enough at an audience which the Russian Minister had of the Shah to present
his leuteis of credence on his definite appointment, no mention of the all-absorbino-
M P d P Ftt mat t La r “G- 16 , afte . rnoon the Minister for Foreign Affairs called on
M. de Etter and myselr at this legation to protest, and about 9 P.M. Shahab-ed-Dowleh
came for the same purpose and remained till 1 a.m. Roth were told that in view of
the attacks and murders committed on our consuls in all parts of Persia and of the
o a allure on the part of the Persian Governments to take any measures whatever to
protect them or to punish the aggressors, our Governments, seeing that there was a
grave risk lest similar events should occur in the capital where "the Germans were
making quite unconcealed preparations for a coup of soine kind, had decided that it was
ntcehsaiy to bring a small force closer to the capital for our protection. That was the
• i o yect, and the advance of the troops implied no hostile design against Persia
emer ^ e Capital exce py‘'‘ — ofdisorders 8 B u D th MmiSrs
assuied us that the Persian Government would take every measure to secure our