File 1110/1916 Pt 2 'Persia: SITUATION Miscellaneous' [‎23r] (50/276)

Unclosure No. 4.
Copy of a telegram from His Britannic Majesty's Consul, Sistan, to the General Officer
Commanding, Sistan, Kacha, No. 312 C., dated the 4th May 1916.
Your 434. Has 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. Khudadad Khan done you good service and is
he pressing you to employ or forgive Ali Shah Khan ? I believe that, if you
employ Ali Shah, he will stipulate for your assistance in recovery of telegraph
appointment and will claim to be allowed to reside at Sipeh which is only-
permissible if Telegraph Director reinstates him. He is of sullen and
discontented disposition and in my opinion will not do good work for you if
at same time he is aggrieved against Telegraph Department.
I think he ought not to be forgiven for entering German service while
in our employ. Do you not think of making any use of my News Agent at
Dehaneh Baghi, Mirza Nur Muhammad Keqi, who has done good work since
last November ?
It seems to me that Chagai frontier officials ought to he able to assist
you to perfect your intelligence arrangements without enlisting assistance of
Ali Shah and that latter’s successor at Dehaneh should preferably be employed
in your service. I am wiring to-day to Director, Persian Section, enquiring
whether he can, in any circumstances, consent to reinstatement of Ali Shah
at Sipeh.
Enclosure No. 5.
Copy of a telegram from His Britannic Majesty's Consul, Sistan, to Director, Persian Section,
Tehran, dated the 4th May 1916.
Ali Shah Khan like Jehind and Juma Jehil has gone into General Dyer’s
camp at Kacha and made submission. Dyer presses me to agree to his being
employed in his Secret Service establishment. I replied that, while not
objecting to his being included in general amnesty, I thought he ought not to
be re-employed, as I understood you would not reinstate him as Line Guard
and his land at Sipeh given to him by Department would be confiscated
and given- to his successor. General says that question of re-employment on
Secret Service is distinct from Telegraph Service question. I answered that
his intelligence work would not he good enough until he was reinstated by
Telegraph Department as he would nurse his grievance, and we have already
found him sullen and of discontented disposition. In conclusion, I wired:—*
Begins :—
“ It seems to me that Chagai frontier officials ought to be able to assist
you to perfect your intelligence arrangements without enlisting assistance of
Ali Shah and that latter’s successor at Dehaneh should preferably be employed
in your service. I am wiring to-day to Director, Persian Section, enquiring
whether he can, in any circumstances, consent to reinstatement of Ali Shah at
Sipeh.” Ends.
In my opinion Alishah should be given either both jobs or neither, and
I personally think we can manage without him. Two of the Brahur Jema
dars who fought at Leradik with Bennett, Heron and Dormer have offered
to migrate from Lutak to Sipeh with their clan if you prefer to establish a
new set of Line Guards there.
Enclosure No. 6.
‘Copy of a telegram from the Inspector, 7th Sub-Section, Indo-European Telegraph Depart
ment, Dehaneh Baghi, to Assistant Superintendent, Sistan, dated the 7th May 1916.
Ali Shah has written to the effect that General Dyer has reinstated him
as head of the Telegraph Line Guards and asks for permission to come to
Dehaneh. I believe Consul, Sistan, has had considerable telegraphic corres
pondence with Director, Persian Section, on subject. N Ali Shah Khan before