File 3443/1914 Pt 2 'German War: German emissaries to Afghanistan' [‎73r] (154/490)

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Telegram P., No. 288 F„ dated the 19th (received 20th) August 1915.
From—His Britannic Majesty's Minister, Tehran,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla.
Please see mv telegram No. 2^6. Mustaufi-ul-Mamalik has been success
ful in forming a Cabinet, himself being a Minister of the Interior, Vossuk-ed-
Dowleh, Minister of "Finance, Mobtasbim-es-Sultaneb, Minister for Foreign
Affairs, and Ala-es-Sultaneb, Minister of Justice. For the last few days
Germans have been endeavouring to rouse feeling of populace here against
ourselves and the Russians by preaching in the streets and distributing leaflets
shaking(?) the friendship of Persia towards us. But little has been done by
the Police to prevent it and the gendarmerie are nearly openly hostile. The
object of the Germans would seem to be to make hazardous an advance of
Russian troops from Kasvin.
Great excitement has been caused at Shiraz by the occupation of Bushire
and by other operations and the Consul there describes the situation as being
critical.
The Clergy are agitating in Ispahan, hut the Bakhtiaris are keeping aloof
from the movement. German Consul at Kermanshah has threatened to stop
by force the return of Russian and British Consuls. They have been actually
held up at Kangavar.
I am of opinion that the Ministers are quite aware of the dangers of the
situation which have been brought about by party squabbles.
Addressed to Foreign Office and repeated to Petrograd.
93
Telegram P., No. 11 F., dated the 17th (received 20th) August 1915.
From Major F. B. Prideaux, C.I.E., His Britannic Majesty's Consul for Sistan
and Kain,
To The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla.
I am following tbe example of the Tehran Legation in starting a special
series of numbers in the cases of those telegrams which I am addressing to
London and repeating to Simla and our Consuls in Persia. Telegrams which
I am sending simultaneously to Tehran, Simla, Baluchistan and Meshed will
be numbered in a series followed by letter “S’”. Necessity for paragraph
which formerly appeared at end of each of my telegrams is obvrated under
this arrangement.
94
Telegram P., No. 12 F., dated the 17th (received 20th) August 1915.
From— Major F. B. Prileaux, C.I.E., His Britannic Majesty’s Consul for Sistan
and Kain,
T 0 The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla.
A rumour is current that small caravans in German service have passed
through Khur which is 47 miles to the west of Birjand on their way to
Naibaud and Sarnad : also that these caravans expect to come into touch with
Germans at Naiband from Kerman. Last night, August 16th, Governor sent a
small partv to investigate and stop such caravans. I have receivea no repoit
from my spy at Khur. If these rumours are corroborated I shall request
Officer Commanding Troops in Sistan to send a force to Nell.
From Sistan I learn that seme Sistani Afghans who have recently come
back from Kerman state that they were asked by the Germans («) to raise a
force for them in Sistan of one thousand men on a pay of thirty tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. each
a month, and (b) to wreck telegraph offices at Bagheh and Dehaneh. J-tuas
*t a ted by the Germans that Sarhaddi Sardars, Jebmd, &c„ were tnends of
theirs. >, ... e
INDIA rOREIO' T •• ;;
Letter. r 0 . 3 6 M
rated
27 AUb 1915