ملف رقم ٣٤٥ لسنة ١٩٠٨ الجزء الأول "المحمرة: الوضع. تطمينات بريطانية للشيخ." [و‎‎١‎٨‎٤] (٤١٦/٣٧٢)

vjillingness to rurnish us with all necessary signed agreements.
My mirza expressed himself doubtful of my attaching much weight
to their signed undertakings, gently reminding the Shahab that the
seal on the document which he had handed me at Kima last March
was yet scarcely dry. This silenced the Shahab, who did not want
the Salar T s curiosity aroused regarding that episode in his past
career.
r. . - ■ - 1 - ■ . •- * • >r. . . . t,
4. In the course of the conversation the Salar remarked that
they had some 40,000 subjects capable of bearing arms, but og
these only some 10000 were provided with fire-arms. This estimate
nfxtfeK I may observe is the most sane statement of the fighting
strength of the Bakhtyari tribes which I have yet had made to me.
The Salar also said that some British representative (Coloh&l
Douglas in 1904?) had approached them on the subject of raising
and training forces in their country. At that time they were not
prepared to favour such a step, but that their feelings had under
gone a change, and that now they were anxious for it. Let us knsw
i
now play up to our own proposals.
5. I answered very briefly that I was unable personally to make
*■
them any reply, but that I would lay their proposals before my
Coverhment. I also stated that their proposals appeared to me to
involve issues of great magnitude, and of such a nature that our
♦: i C
engagements with Persia and other Pov/ers would make it very
difficult for us to accept any part in them.
6 . The short time at my command and my unwillingness to display
too great interest in the subversive projects of the ‘Chans, pre
vented me from attempting to draw from them a more detailed
statement of the precise course of action they have in view, and
of the means and met||ods which they propose to employ. I can
therefore only communicate the above precis of what passed between
us. This I do merely for the information of Government.
I do not propose to offer any comments on a subject which stands
to be judged on general and not local grounds, but I may remark
that I question the probability of Sheikh Khazal’s committing
himself in the way desired by the Khans, though he may, to gain
fugitive