File 2976/1916 Pt 1 'Persia Bunder-Abbas-Kerman telegraph and road' [‎320r] (343/452)

Telegram P., No. 78, dated (and received) the 4th September 1916.
From—His Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Kerman,
T°-Th e Se^teryto the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart-
(Addressed Cox ; repeated Tehran, Sykes, and Bandar Abbas.)
■construction of Baft-Kerman Section could be taken up; from December^
impoSbie^ n ° W C ° id 3eCtion latitude ^-20 to 29-40 dM or
I personally tbink that for section Baft to Tansizindan we u
to get local guard from Ahmadi and Afishar and that if procured they wouMnot
in present state of things stand up to Baharlu. P 3 - d not
I f t !’, llgllt eventually be found possible if terminal sections could be con-
“0 g f r tS 0nl Baft and TangiZilldal1 mak ^
Telegram, P„ No. 469, dated the 7th (received the 8th) September 1916.
From—The Officer in charge of the Consulate at Bandar Abbas,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Denart-
ment. ^
(Addressed Cox; repeated Tehran, Sykes, Kerman, and Bushire.)
Sykes’s telegram 561 and Kerman’s No. 79. All material will presumably be
landed at Bandar Abbas and lines started from this end. ^ ^
When deciding about the escort if should be remembered that a successful
raid on party would cause stampede of transport and labour of which there is great
scarcity. Buck agrees as to advisability of employing an escort of the strength
suggested m my telegram No. 454. If this cannot be sanctioned, however, I venture
to advise employment of half company of Indian Infantry under an officer, preferably
British, to stick to local escort. From 30 to 50 men would be supplied by Governor
of Bandar Abbas in his own district and Buck can supply 30 men now and 20 more
probably after two or three weeks. These men, however, are not much more reliable
than Ahmedis. Ahmedis would relieve Governors’ men at boundary of Bandar
Abbas district.
i
Telegram P., No. 120, dated the 10th (received the 11th) September 1916.'
From—His Britannic Majesty’s Minister, Tehran,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla.
(Bepeated Basra, Kerman and Bandar Abbas.)
Telegram September 4th, 25-79-F., from Kerman.
Construction of line piecemeal is deprecated by Director, Indo-European
Telegraph Department, who points out as material is to be landed at Bandar Abbas
best course would be to make all arrangements from Depot whence stock should
be sent to Kerman and line constructed through to Kerman. He urges further
that until we are able to deal with Baharlus we should endeavour to ascertain price
for which they would undertake to protect caravans with material and construc
tion parties or that Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Nosrat might undertake task.
To me these views appear sound in the absene of urgency for the construction
of Kerman-Baft or other sections.