File 3516/1914 Pt 7 'German War: Persia' [‎94r] (192/519)

deal with the question afresh. As jto the north of Persia, the matter is one which
concerns Russian interests rather more than our own, but M. de Etter informs me that
at present he is disposed to think that the force should be maintained.
His Majesty’s consul at Shiraz has recently informed me by telegraph that Captain
Pousette, who is now in command there, is seriously concerned as to the outlook of the
gendarmerie from a financial standpoint and is demanding the imposition of a tax on
animals to meet the requisite expenditure, failing which he would march the Ears
regiment to Tehran as a demonstration. The gendarmerie in that province, so I learnt
from Major Pravitz, who called on me on his way to Sweden on three months’ leave,
have been paid up to the end of May, so that the need of money is not so urgent as I
have hitherto been led to suppose, but there are certain arrears dating from rather more
than a year back, which amount to 60,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. (12,00uZ.) in round figures. ^ The
want of money is, however, likely to be felt in an acute form very shortly, and in the
present embarrassed condition of the Persian Treasury it appears to me very certain
that, except under very strong pressure from us, the means will pot he found to provide
the necessary funds; in that event I understand that the Swedish officers, who are not
particularly enamoured of their work here, will he quite ready to resign provider, that
their salaries, &c. are paid. It would therefore seem that it rests with us whether the
gendarmerie in Ears is maintained or not; and that if at any moment we decide against
them, we have only to remain passive, and the force will melt away for lack of funds to
^ "l am well aware that the opinion held by His Majesty’s consul-general at Bushire
is that the Swedish officers have shown themselves consistently disinclined to recognise
our paramount influence in the southern provinces, and since the war we . have °P enl y
abetted the agents of the German Legation m their efforts to injure our interests
prestige in every possible way, and that therefore it is our best policy, even at the risk
of seeL the whole of the south of Persia fall into a condrtron of anarchy, to bnng
about the recall of the Swedish officers, and that to endeavour to maintain them is
merely to throw good money after bad. Indeed I have just received a telegram from
^^riiS^SrZTfhr us, as I have said before, will be to retain
the Swedes, LtVevents until the end of the war. If, as o°ur
recognised the immense harm they have done to Persia and to tp'l
succeed m maintaining some degree 1 p roc H v ities, and even
against a temporary continuation of t ,, . • fa j s :g e( j b v events the worst
supposing that my belief m their change A c ld if bringlnTabout the state of chaos
that can happen is that the Germans may prospect of this contingency
which must occur if they are withdrawn. As to the , P r “ pe b creatini , a coa litioii
which the Germans are apparently endeavouring entertaming great scepticism,
against us among the tribes of Pars, I must confess^to entertj ng gre ^ ^
Most Persians and many Em p e h a ' ,s “ d a t P ° J; rehens ions entertained by His Majesty’s
mere idea, but m the face of the e _ II , y no y p re p a red to say that
consular representatives at Bushire S jraz and Ij made cannot be denied,
the thing is impossible. That the e „ p “ A doin! ,. ^hat it can to thwart the
hut I am quite certain that the Peisia t _ Tirohability succeed in doing so, and it
German efforts, and will, with our suppor , i P disbandment of the gendarmerie
would, I submit, be a mistake for us to bl>in g than at any
which is already showing itself much “ or i tse lf a very useful instrument m
other period in its existence, and which would prove itseii y
the hands of the Minister of the Interior. • the v ; e w that it would be to our
If His Majesty’s Government sh° u ^ b ^ n ^i financial support, for the
policy to maintain the gendarmerie _ ^ fin d it convenient to make other
duration of the war, or until sue ^ nn • j es t wa y would appear to be that in
arrangements for carrying on its vor , A- to agree to giving the Persian
the event of His Majesty’s Government consen^ be ^narked for. the
Government financial support, a certain mmit y aareementj that a special arrange-
pnrposes of the Ears regiment, or ai y terminable at our pleasure, but in any
ment should be made which would of st i pu l a te for the transfer elsewhere
arrangement that might be made, we s ou . ^ designate at any tune as showing
of any officer, Swedish or Persian, whom we might ciesi 0
mischievous tendencies. ■ * further telegram from Major 0 Connor,
Since writing the above I have by His Majesty’s
in which he expresses strong dissent fiom B 2
[2454 a —1]