File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎431v] (510/1080)

225.
AFGHANISTAN.
]Z era t .—September 10th to 16th.
Some furniture has been sent to the Bolshevik Consulate for the use of
Suritz who is returning to Russia via Herat.
(ii) Four Russian messengers who had arrived from Russia some days
previously left for Kabul on the 12th.
(Hi) An Afghan cattle dealer living at Kara Teppe stated that the Bol
sheviks manufacture a species of 3-line rifle for sale to Afghans and Persians.
These weapons are liable to burst when discharged and he.advises, thorough
test before purchase. (These are possibly Tashkent made rifles which have a
bad reputation as being of poor workmanship. They are probably considered
good enough by the BolsheviKs for barter with cereals and cloth.)
(iv) Malaria is prevalent among the Afghan garrison of Chahildukhteran.
Colonel Abdul Rahim Khan is down with it as is also the doctor who went to
treat him.
(«) The Commanding Officer of the 9th Herati Battalion is given to abusing
and beating his men. On the 11th instant, after parade, the regiment marched
en masse to the Ark Nao to petition the Naib Salar to dismiss this officer.
The Naib Salar informed the petitioners through Brigadier Ata Muham
mad Khan that their requests were granted and that they should return to
their quarters. The men would not believe the Brigadier and wanted to hear
his decision from the Naib Salar himself. The latter appeared and ordered the
recruits to fall out. He then put all the men present under arrest for their
breach of discipline and ordered them to enlist a substitute each and to be
discharged. All the officers present, that is, two captains and six subalterns,
were placed under arrest, ordered to refund two months’ pay, to provide two
substitutes each, and to be dismissed the service. The Commanding Officer
was transferred to the Jadidi Herati Battalion.
The money can be found but substitutes in lieu of those discharged and
dismissed are very hard to procure. The arrested men and officers are in great
distress over the matter.
(vi) The menial personnel who were sent to Kabul with the Plenipotentiary
Raskolnikov arrived back in Herat on the 12th, They were to have returned
with M. Suric but his departure having been delayed they came on ahead.
(vii) Ghulam Haidar Khan, Governor of Qala Nao and Bala Murghab, has
been succeeded (13th September) by Habibullah Khan on the former’s resigna
tion of his appointment.
(viii) Jemal Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Suric are coming to Herat via Hazarajat. Their
servants arrived on the 14th. They have a large bodyguard with them. The
servants brought a sealed cover for despatch to Kushk.
(«>) A clerk of the Agent of the Bokharan Republic at Kabul and a servant
of the ex-Amh: of Bokhara arrived in Herat some few days previous to the
issue of this report and left for Russia, via Chahildukhteran, on the 15th.
(#1 Eight of the ten Bokharans who were in custody in Herat in connec
tion with the firing on the Bokharan Agent, previously reported, have been
sent under escort to Mazar-i-Sharif for transfer to the Bokharan authorities.
The Captain and a servant are left behind in custody.
(xi) On the Idth, Muhammad Reza Khan, Shuja-ul-Mulk, with his family
and treasure, arrived at Kafir Qala. He wished to return to Persia but the
Commandant of Kafir Qala detained him pending orders from the Naib-ul-
Hukumeh which were expected in the person of Sarhang Muhammad Ibrahim,
Shuja’s nephew, who had waited on the Naib-ul-Hukumeh. The latter sanc
tioned the return of Shuja-ul-Mulk, the nephew looking after his affairs at
Kafir Qala.
(xii) Abdul Baqi Khan who was appointed Afghan Consul at Meshed
some months ago but returned to Kabul from Harat, is proceeding to Meshed
via Mazar-i-ShariL