ملف ٢٢٩٧/ ١٩١٩ "تقارير شهرية للمقيمية البريطانية في الخليج الفارسي. ١٩١٢-١٩٢٠." [و‎‎٢‎٥‎٣] (١٠٤٤/٥١٠)

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He halted for some days in Isfahan and did not quit that place till the 27th
March.
462. ftfe sent on the Saham-us-Sultaneh as his Deputy-Governor in advance
with some 120 sowars. The parties passed Ardekan on 28th March.
The Sardar professes to be bringing 200 Bakhtirai sowars with himself.
463. Early in the month it was rumoured that the Sardar Muhtasham was
bringing a new Head of Police with him, but the truth of this rumour now appears
doubtful. The present incumbent has shown himself on the whole satisfactory, and
his removal would not be to the Sardar’s credit.
464. The Sardar Nusrat’s resignation was due to the alleged want of assis- Local Government,
tance and support of the authorities in Tehran, and Mr. Lecofire.
He called omHis Majesty’s Consul to explain the situation on the 7th March.
He pointed out that, while local responsibility for the recent Baluch raid and
atrocities fell on him, he had all along warned the Persian Government of the
danger, and asked for assistance to meet it. He had repeatedly represented the
deficiency of cartridges and of funds, but no attention had been paid to him.
Mr. Lecoffre gave him the pay of the road guard (Qarasuran) and troops in Treasury
Drafts on the revenue of Sirjan and other districts which the Amir Mufakhkham
had failed to recover with all the means at his disposal.
The Sardar without those means and with practically no ammunition says he
is powerless to enforce the payment of these Treasury Drafts, and Mr. Lecoffre
refuses to let him have any funds to purchase ammunition. The result is that there j
is no money with which to pay the road guards and they are naturally deserting.
465. This statement of the case is probably approximately correct, though
Mr. Lecoffre will doubtless urge that the Sardar and his relations previously em
bezzled from the 8,000 tumans a month supplied for the payment of the troops and
Qarasuran. His and the Swedish officers’ object is to get these funds transferred
to the Budget and control of the Gendarmerie.
466. The Gendarmerie having rested after the fatigues of their expedition to
Bam, a party of them, 40 strong under Captain de Mare, started on March 11th
to go down via Baft to Bandar ’Abbas.
It had previously been proposed that the whole force, men and officers, should
make the journey leaving Kerman in February. In the eyes of the Persian Public,
which always expects too much from Europeans, the Gendarmerie quite discre
dited itself in the recent operations. It is to be hoped that they will soon be able
to do something to gain a solid reputation based on deeds and not merely on their
name.
467 Captain de Mare called on His Majesty’s Consul on the 9th March and
gave an account of his Bam expedition. He frankly admitted that he had entirely
changed his preconceived and freely-aired opinion of the Baluch.
468. Reference paragraph 331. It now happily appears that the Swedish
Doctor and Nurse are man and wife. Under present arrangements they proceed to
Shiraz whence it is proposed to send them direct with a large consignment ot
ammunition to Kerman. His Majesty’s Consul has counselled strongly against incur
ring this very considerable risk and has suggested that at least the Doctor and his
wife who have not left Bushire yet, should be telegraphed to to meet Captain
de Mare at Bandar ’Abbas. There seems to be almost a possibility that this dis
interested advice may be acted on.
469 In the middle of December the Swedes took possession for their office
and hospital of the Bagb-i-Nasiri, a house and garden in the Government quarters
which have always belonged to the Governors. The gift was made by Mr. Lecofire,
but His Majesty’s Consul earnestly warned Major Glimstedt of the trouble which
this appropriation would be sure to give rise to, as soon as the Governor-General
armeared on the scene. Early in March it appears that the Sardar Muhtasham
got wind of his eviction, and he at once sent orders for the place to be vacated.
Gendarmerie.