"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٤‎٣] (٥٦٦/٩١)

5 g OPERATIONS IN PERSIA
British
protests ;
March 1915*
action likely to arouse public opposition, and a total lack of
constructive policy beyond an overwhelming desire to rid
Persia of Russian troops. But, judged by subsequent events,
he appears to have been no weaker than any of his successors.
On the 14th March 1915 he was succeeded by Mushir-ud-Daula,
who had the advantage of possessing the confidence of the
Majlis and who, it was hoped, would adopt a strong attitude
towards breaches of Persian neutrality.
The state of affairs at Shiraz and m the Bushire hinterland
led the British Minister on the 16th March to make a strong
remonstrance to the Persian Foreign Minister against the bias
in favour of our enemies which the Persian Government appeared
to be displaying. Recapitulating the proofs obtained of the
schemes of the German Minister and German agents to involve
Persia in hostilities against us, Sir Walter Townley pointed out
that the Persian Government had done nothing to stop the
progress of these agents, whose action had laid them as open
to restraint as if they had been belligerents with arms in their
hands. He urged that immediate and energetic instructions
should be sent to the authorities in the south to take all necessary
steps to check the subversive movement which had sprung up
in the gendarmerie-protected footsteps of Wassmuss.
On the same day, hearing from the British consul at Shiraz
that Wassmuss’ plan to seize the British consul and consulate
there might be carried out at any moment, Sir Walter Townley
gave Major W. F. T. O’Connor permission to destroy all but one
of his cipher codes. Next day Major O’Connor sent another tele
gram saying that he had definite evidence that the Swedish
officers were parties to the German conspiracy and that there
were many unmistakable indications that the gendarmerie were
prepared to assist actively in the German plans. These were npe
for execution, and he understood that Wassmuss, having groun s
for the belief that the whole country and the gendarmerie were
behind him, was only awaiting instructions from the German
Minister to start hostilities. Sir Walter Townley at once ma e
a vigorous protest to the Persian Prime Minister, demanding
that instructions be immediately sent to the Governor-Genera
and the gendarmerie at Shiraz to preserve order, and adding
that the Persian Government would be held responsible tor
any damage to British interests if a disturbance with violence
should occur. The Prime Minister agreed to send the necessary
orders, and these were so far successful that the Governor-
General and the senior Swedish officer at Shiraz both assure
Major O’Connor that they intended to maintain neutra i y-