"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٢‎٤‎٣] (٥٦٦/٤٩٢)

T RAN S-C ASPIA
429
it increasingly difficult to get fighting men. The Turkoman
Commander-in-Chief had also assured General Malleson that he
would do his best to prevent a rupture between his fellow-
countrymen and the Trans-Caspian Government. In further
telegrams sent in the next few days General Malleson reported
the Trans-Caspian financial position as very grave. He himself
was finding his own position increasingly difficult owing to the
rather conflicting and indefinite instructions he had received.
The India Office, in a telegram sent on the 26th November,
said that the sudden urgent demand for money for the Trans-
Caspian Government had taken them by surprise and that,
while it was desired to keep this government in existence, H.m!
Government could not meet the large recurrent payments
mentioned in the telegram of the 20th from India. Actual
liabilities incurred, and any definite promises of financial
support given, by General Malleson would of course be met and
for this they proposed to pay a lump sum in Persian currency
to the Trans-Caspian Government. They asked the Govern
ment of India to advise what this amount should be. The
latter repeated the telegram to General Malleson asking him
to state the amount due under the two heads mentioned.
Shortly before this, they had sent General Malleson five
lakhs of rupees towards meeting the expenditure of his Mission,
and on the 28th November, after he had failed to raise sufficient
money locally to pay the amount due for rations, he asked if
he could pledge this sum or give any other guarantee, as the
Trans-Caspian Government, faced with bankruptcy and un
willing to face the chaos that would ensue, had just intimated
that they were going to resign at once. Later in the same day
he replied to the telegram asking for the amount of his liabilities.
In his original agreement with the Trans-Caspian Government
in August he had, he said, included a clause promising them
financial assistance, but had soon afterwards learnt that they
had money sufficient in their estimation to last them for five
or six months. This estimate of theirs had proved optimistic
owing, partly, to their inexperience, to the fall in value of the
rouble and to the rise in prices. But the amount had been in
i any case a comparatively small sum* on which to govern the
country, maintain an army and a railway, and assist in feeding
thousands of refugees. He had pointed out to them, however,
that their miscalculation had involved delay in procuring
financial assistance for them. He himself had never named any
sum to them and he had as yet been unable to ascertain what
* it was 72,000,000 roubles.
(27782) 2F2