ملف ٣٤٤٣/١٩١٤ الجزء ٢ "الحرب الألمانية: المبعوثون الألمان إلى أفغانستان" [ظ‎‎٨‎١] (٤٩٠/١٧١)

27
also only telegraphed his reports to Meshed to his senior military officer. Thi
no doubt accounts for proposal of Russian Vice-Consul to make a trip to Kaj 8
and his request that either I or British Vice-Consul should accompany him on
his journey.
Afterwards when my Russian colleague refused to make the journey on the
ground that a Russian Consular officer was coming from Meshed’, I felt that I
apart from the fact that the Persians had been told that Mr. New was goin» ^
with Russian Vice-Consul to Kain, I had a good reason for sending Mr. °New
there to collect information.
Enclosure to Serial No. 81.
No. H. 6852, dated Simla, the 7th August 1915.
From— Major A. H. O. Spence, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India in
the Army Department,
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
I am directed to convey the sanction of the Government of India to the
temporary issue of 120 *303 rifles with 100 rounds of ammunition per rifle and
120 sets of accoutrements to the Agent to the Governor-General and Chief
Commissioner in Baluchistan for the use of the Chagai Levy Corps.
86
Telegram P., No. 9 F., dated the 16th (received 17th) August 1915.
From— Major F. B. Prideaci, C.I.E., His Britannic Majesty's Consul for Sistan
and Kain,
To—The Secretary to the G overnment of India in the Foreign and Political Depart*
ment, Simla.
I have been informed by His M ajesty’s Minister at Tehran that Russiai*
Government have no objection to our sending armed Hazaras to Birjand from
Meshed.
I believe there are in the neighbourhood of Tabas 300 or 400 Persian
sowars with two or th?ee dozen Germans and Austrians and several machine
guns. On account of presence of Russian troops these will probably not come
near Birjand but only alternative open to them would appear to be to return
to Ispahan or proceed in a southern direction to Sistan (and) Sarhad
via Naib^nd.
Since August 3rd Consul-General, Ispahan, has mentioned that seven
parties comprising 12 Germans and 61 Austrians have set out down road (to)
Shiraz since July !|.9th. These are mostly believed to have turned off intq
an easterly direction.
If these Europeans succeed in getting into Sarhad, I think they will be
able to do a great deal of harm; the addition to our force in Sistan of a
hundred Hazaras may be most valuable in the forthcoming winter.
Colonel Haig is prepared to allow Captain Thorburn to bring down the
Hazaras to Birjand and as soon as it becomes evident that Germans have
abandoned their intention of coming here I can take them on to Sistan.
It is thirteen stages between Meshed and Birjand and now the road is quite
open to traffic.
At the present time I have 28 camel riders from Sistan and eighteen
from Birjand are here in temporary service. In a few days I hope to be able
to discharge these men but am awaiting news of some engagement between
eimans and Russians. If I cannot have the Hazaras, whom I would much
pre er, I propose to keep these levies on if the Germans continue to threaten
4>Ujand and the road is strongly intrenched by them.
.