File 3443/1914 Pt 3 'German War: Afghanistan and Persia; German agents; British troops in East Persia' [‎137v] (285/345)

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Superintendent Tanner with wife and child, European clerks Cane, Chese,
Bottomley, doctor Slienhoff, Armenian clerks Edwards T. Edwards Zakhariya
with two women and children four, (3) Bank Manager Taylor with wife and
infant and two Armenian clerks, (4) Bussian Colony Consulate Consul Dr. % i
Neheraieff with nine Cossacks and one Persian Mirza, (5) Mission party
Bey. Bike, Bey. Boy land with wife and three children, Dr. Dodson wife and
child. Dr. (Miss) Stuart, Miss Stuart and Miss Goddard, ( 6 ) refugees
one Greek, four Armenian men with four women and children four, (7)
one Indian servant of late Earrukh Shah. Total number of souls
69. All except Bussian Consul and party Indian sowars Nasrullah
Khan and to Bank clerks left by “Bankura” to-day. One Bussian Cossack
developed small-pox, no other cases of sickness reported. Mrs. Taylor and
infant wish to proceed to England, the telegraph party proceeds Karachi,
remaining are uncertain of ultimate destination. Ends. Transport “ Bankura ”
proceeds first Maskat with Ducat and thence, I understand, to Karachi and to
Bombay. Think “Bankura ” should reach Karachi about 17th January and
Bombay about 19th January.
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Telegram R., No. 188-B., dated the 15th (received 16th) January 1916.
Prom—The Hon J ble the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Imlia in the Foreign and Political
Department, Delhi.
(Addressed to Foreign; repeated'to Bushire.)
In regard to attitude of Bakhtiari.
Eollowing is purport of telegrams which have recently passed :—
Demeanour of Khans in Tehran has been very satisfactory lately and
Minister contemplated no difficulty in getting them to countersign any
agreement arrived at between us and Khans here.
Meeting of Grahame and Young wdth them for this purpose was on the
point of taking place at the Oil-fields, and after discussion details with us
Minister was about to telegraph text of final draft when Grahame wired
January 13th, that Khans now announced their intention of proceeding first
to Behbehan and thus not reching Oil-fields till March 21 st.
They explained that their immediate presence at Behbehan had been
rendered necessary first by attitude of Soulet who was interfering in Kuhgalu
territory and by the arrival of a fanatic mulatto Seyed ? Esa who
was endeavouring to excite inhabitants to Jihad % Before starting, however,
they asked Doctor Young to visit them professionally at Malamir. He is on
the way there and will endeavour to remain in their company.
Minister to-day expressed some suspicion of their sudden change of plans
and asked Grahame if it was not possible that they had been bought over by
Germans.
. AH things are possible, but I have expressed view that Bakhtiaris are
unlikely to enter into hostile collusion with Soulet, or to abandon friendly
negotiations with us if their homes at and near Ispahan are soon to be at the
mercy of Bussian force.
We shall know better what their intentions are when Young reaches
them.
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Telegram P., No. 10, dated fand received) the 16th January 1916.
From—His Britannic Majesty^s Minister, Tehran,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Delhi.
Bushire telegram No. 24-123. Urgent. In view expressed in last para
graph I entirely concur.
If we give no assistance to only Persian Governor in south who has stood
by us it would be most damaging to us. It would even have a discouraging