ملف ٣٤٤٣/١٩١٤ الجزء ٢ "الحرب الألمانية: المبعوثون الألمان إلى أفغانستان" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٨] (٤٩٠/٢٦٦)

12
steps he may take to protect them are represented as heins: taken in Ancrlo-
Bussian interests. He is therefore object of constant attack by strong pro-
German elements in AEejlis and tbe Press.
“Bussian retirement in Galicia has bad its effect at this moment.
“Bussian Minister and I nevertheless see nothing better than to support
him, as any other Cabinet wonld probably be worse and not better than the
present one.
“ Persians will not, I think, join the enemy intentionally, but the d-mirer
is that these parties of German agents are so powerful that they cannot without
actual fighting be arrested for which no Persian Cabinet cares to be responsible.
German Consul, Ispahan, is said to have 200 retainers; while in one or two
instances parties number 50 or more armed men with probablv a machine gun.
Mission to Afghanistan will therefore possibly be able to reach its destination,
while others will succeed in Kerman in producing there tbe same state of things
that made it possible for tbe Bussian Bank Manager to be murdered. To
authorise His Majesty’s Consul to recruit guards for themselves would be use
less, as such action would tend to precipitate a serious incident, such as Germans
seem to be seeking to bring about and I can only suggest that in informing
tbe Government of Persia of intention of the two Governments to grant
them advances a very strong warning should be conveyed to them by us of
the dangers they are running and it should be clearly stated that for any
untoward results that may be caused by their supiueness there or in the
neighbouring countries, Persia will be held to account. Bepeated to Petrograd
and Basrah.”
Sent to Bushire and India.
35
Telegram P., No. 1307 B , dated the 25th (received 26th) June 1915.
From— The Hon’ble Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.T.,
Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla.
Please refer to my immediately preceding telegram. Following from
Minister 208, repeated Bushire, Foreign. Your telegram No. 140.
“ Ispahan situation. There are certainly disquieting elements in the
situation. Centre of German activities has been transferred from Tehran to
Ispahan since the arrival of Bussian troops at Kasvin and four or five
German agents,, with perhaps thirty Austrian soldiers, prisoners escaped
from Irans-Caspia vid Meshed, and as many as 200 armed retainers recruited
locally and from Naib Hussein’s brigands are now at Ispahan. Possibly
German plan is to attack Bussian and British Consulate, &c., in the hope that
Bussian troops will be sent to Ispahan and that eventually Persia will get
embroiled in the war in this way. At present Persian Government have about
4f.0 gendarmerie in Ispahan and more are to be sent from Fars. New
Governor-General, Sirdar-i-Ashjaan, whom Bussian Legation believe can be
trusted, has a considerable force of Bakhtiari sowars at his disposal. Persian
Government has sent orders that German retainers are to be disarmed and there
should be no danger if Swedish officers have their men in hand and are sup
ported by Governor-General. However, rank and file of gendarmerie and also
and moie particularly native officers of that force are reported to be very pro-
German in their \iews while at time of Bnssian demand for dismissal of Sardar
Mobtashem attitude of Bakhtiaris generally was decidedly defiant and Bussian
hold on new Governor-General so far as I can see consists mainlv in his
personal relations with Evreinoff. It was on that account mainly that Bussian
Legation agreed to his appointment as Mohtashem’s successor. I deprecate
personally the withdrawal of Consuls which would be a sign of weakness.
Moreover with them colony and telegraph staff would presumably have to
shmd/i! 80 ' f 1 ? s T tlmi i late Governor-General’s friendship 1 think Evreinoff
hould be sent to Ispahan with a good supply of money.