ملف ٤٦٩/ ١٩١٧ جزء ١ "بلاد فارس: شؤون بختياري" [و‎‎٢‎٥‎٧] (٥٣٥/٥٢٥)

From Sir 4 Percy Cox, 22u<l May 1915.
(Addressed Foreign, repealed to India Office, Minister
and Hnshire.)
(M.) F. 13. Please see series of telegrams beginning with my No. 1081,
and comments of the Government of India and His Majesty’s Minister at
1 eh ran thereupon. 1 hey are doubtless in a position to appraise situation
from a longer and more detached standpoint than I can, but I respectfully
submit following further observations. Past autumn when we were expecting
wai with 1 uikey, and when military authorities in India expressed opinion
that our resources were fully occupied and that troops could not be spared
for Persian Gulf, we did not hesitate to discount lacts by making reassuring
announcements to Arab potentates of the Gulf, and by offering inducements
to Koweit, Mohammerah, and Basra notables in order to make sure of their
co-operation or benevolent neutrality. Position seems to me to be much the
same now in case of Persia. Prana facie we have no troops to spare where
with to support our friends or protect our interests. I submit, therefore,
that natural alternative is to offer practical inducements to elements which
are now friendly in order to ensure their benevolent neutrality, and if
possible obtain their co-operation, and thus discount hostility of doubtful
elements, disbursement of periodical secret service doles and other alter
native propositions by Government of India will not, I fear, be either
practicable or sufficient for the purpose.
Our friends can look after themselves and prevenr spread of hostilities
provided they receive sufficient inducement to repay them for risk and
odium entailed. If we take no action on lines suggested, we must face
possibility of these friendly elements leaving us, and consequently create
much more serious situation, necessitating military dispositions on a
proportionately larger scale than those contemplated by Government of
India.