File 3516/1914 Pt 18 'German War: Persia; general situation - 1916' [‎128v] (267/368)

From the first of the two enclosures it seems to me that Qawam-ul-Mulk
does not come very well out of the Shiraz affair. He appears to have remained
quite passive.
In regard to Shaikh Jaf’ar’s attitude, I may observe that he has again
started sending out agents to preach jehad and send threats to the frierdly
Khans, and it is possible he may succeed in working up some religious feelings,
though I do not think there is much religion about the present hostile attitude.
Sub-Enclo. No. 1 to Serial No. 182.
(Extract.)
Dated 4th Muharram 1334 ( = llth November 19*5).
From —Salak-i-Nasrat, Governor of Kazerun, t
To—Thei Darya Begi, Governor of the Gulf Ports, Bushire.
*****
Of course you are fully aware of the incident at Shiraz. In this connec
tion a telegram has been received by me from the Qawam-ul* Mulk which I
beg to quote below for your information :—
“ To—His Excellency Salar-i-Nasrat, Governor of Kazerun,
“To-day, the 2nd Muharram, the Gendarmerie first occupied and seized the
whole Citadel and the Government Garden, Police Department and all the
fortified positions of the town and then warned the British Consul, the Bank
Manager and the Superintendent of the Telegraphs that they must leave for
Bushire within an hour. After an hour they arrested the Consul and all foreign
subjects, and after taking them to the Sarbaz Khaneh (the soldiers’ barracks)
they were sent in the direction of Bushire. I telephoned to the Gendarmerie
asking them for the reason. They answered that it was the orders of the
Government, and that the Persian Government had entered into the war.
“ To-day also they have totally cut the wire to Tehran, and I have no
information at all in this connection ; and there is no wire for instructions to
reach me from the Governments
HABIBULLAII.”
These are the details of the matter. But I am certain that orders have
been sent from Tehran, and that if there were any line open similar telegrams
would have been received by the Qawam-ul-Mulk. In Tehran all the people
have become ready for war. Yesterday I sent a messenger via, Ahmadi to
inform Y^our Excellency. If you do not think it advisable to remain at
Bushire, you might leave for Borasjun and Kazerun. I beg to state that in
my opinion you might remain at Bushire for the present, so that we may see
what lurther developments there are. I am very very anxious about you.
Please inform me soon how you are.
Sub-Enclo. No. 2 to Serial No. 182.
Dated 10th Muharram 1334 ( = 18th November 1915).
From— Shaikh Jamj ar, Borasjun,
To—The Darya Begi, Bushire.
I am never free from the anxiety on account of your difficulties, so much
so that I have even forgotten my own pre-occupation.
Your two esteemed letters both dated 9th Muharram (17 th November)
have been received, and I am greatly astonished at their contents. I do not
know whether Your Excellency is yet aware of the incident at Shiraz or not.
At any rate, the messages sent you by the Ghazanfar-us-Sultaneh through
Mulla Hussain Ali of Angali, and of which you had acknowledged tbe receipt
in your former letter, are astonishing in view of the matters stated by you.
Yesterday the guests were brought from Shiraz to Borasjun. No messages
have been received from Shiraz at Borasjun, nor from Tehran or Ispahan, ^on
account of the interruption of the line between the latter places and Shiraz
has any communication been received here or at Shiraz. The people at Shiraz
are not in the least aware of the situation at Tehran and of the policy of the
Government. I do not know how you have been able to make the remarks
in your letter.