"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٩‎٢] (٥٦٦/١٨٨)

BRITISH POLICY
151
to face in South Persia, but it was considered that we ought to
carry out a more active policy there and that we should take
steps to defeat the enemy schemes by measures of a nature
similar to those which the Germans had adopted. In regard to
India, as the force there would be inadequate to cope with an
Afghan invasion combined with a general rising on the frontier,
it was recommended that two divisions in Egypt should be held
available to reinforce India if necessary.
The War Committee accepted these conclusions in prin
ciple, and on the 2nd March the India Office telegraphed
a summary of the views expressed in the appreciation and
of the decisions of the War Committee to the Government
of India. Sir Percy Sykes, they were told, was to discuss
the situation with Qawam and report the result. H.M.
Government, desiring to lend all possible support to enable
Qawam to drive the Germans out of Ears and recover Shiraz,
were prepared to supply him with arms, ammunition and
money and also if necessary to send to Bandar Abbas the
small force which the War Office had previously offered;
though it was to be understood that this force was not intended
to operate inland. For such work H.M. Government were
prepared to lend a few British officers, who could recruit locally
under Qawam’s authority such force as it might be possible to
find arms for. As the War Committee considered that the
most effective way to meet German activity was by counter
activity of the same kind, they wished that an irregular force
should also be recruited in Seistan at once. Such a force,
stiffened by the regular cavalry already there and led by active
and enterprising officers, could take the offensive in detach
ments and hunt down the German parties.
Sir Percy Cox, who arrived at Bushire on the 5th March to South Persia
discuss matters with Qawam, was informed by him, however, March I 9 i 6 .
that as he had to collect his tribesmen before they began their
spring migration to the highlands, he could not afford to wait
for Sir P. Sykes. Qawam wished to return to Lingeh in order
to start his advance from there as soon as he could be given
money and arms, but would send a representative to Bandar
Abbas to meet Sir Percy Sykes. He also declined the offer of
British officers to accompany him, as the Germans would, he
said, make use of their presence to discredit him in Persian
eyes as a mere instrument of the British. At the same time he
pointed out that it had only been his lack of guns and his
shortage of rifle ammunition that had obliged him to retire
from Shiraz. As regards the suggested despatch of a British