File 3516/1914 Pt 7 'German War: Persia' [‎47r] (98/519)

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No. Cf. 259, dated Bushire, the 10th (received 20th) July 1915 (Confidential).
From— Major A. P. Trevor, C.I.E., Officer on Special duty (in the absence of the 1
Resident),
To—The Foreign Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political
Department, Simla.
I have the honour to forward, for the information of the Government of
Shiraz, to His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran.
Enclosure No. 1.
No. 17, dated the 26th June 1915 (Confidential).
11
A
From— Major W. F. T. O'Connor, C.I.E., His Majesty's Acting Consul, Shiraz, ^
To—His Majesty's Minister, Tehran.
With reference to my telegram to your address, No. 145, dated 15th May
last, I have the honour to forward herewith copies of two letters, both dated
8th May, addressed to me by Major Pravitz, who was at that time Commandant
of the Regiment of Gendarmerie in Pars.
' On receipt of the first of these two letters I consulted Mr. Ferguson, the
Manager of the Imperial Bank of Persia at Shiraz, and sent a civil reply to
Major Pravitz, explaining how it was that the hank did not, as a matter of
business, desire to purchase his gold ; hut that they were prepared, in order to
oblige him, to accept it at 50 Krans per £1.
In reply to this letter I received the extraordinary communication, of
which I enclose a copy II, threatening the bank with exposure in “ eventual
interviews ” (presumably with representatives of the Swedish Press), and then
admitting that the gold had been purchased from Herr Wassmuss—4he ex-
German Consul who is now carrying on an open and flagrant campaign in
Pars directed against British interests and the neutrality of this country.
I replied briefly to this letter saying that now that Major Pravitz had
informed me that the gold had been purchased from Herr Wassmuss, the
bank would not, of course, have anything to do with it on any terms, and
expressing regret that Major Pravitz should have assisted Herr Wassmuss in
his propaganda against our interests and the neutrality of Persia by purchasing
his gold from him. And I added that there was no international law, as he
supposed, 'whereby the bank was obliged to purchase English gold in Persia.
Without entering into the general question of the Swedish officers and
their abilities and character in this letter, I venture to submit these letters
for Your Excellency’s consideration with special reference to Major Pravitz
who, as no doubt Your Excellency is aware, has now returned to Sweden on
leave with the intention of rejoining his post at Shiraz later on.
Major Pravitz, on his first arrival at Shiraz, created a good impression as a
hard-headed and hard-working officer, and he appeared anxious to conduct the
affairs of the gendarmerie in a more business like manner than had been
usual with his predecessors. He soon, however, fell under the influence of
his native officers (who have been the curse and the stumbling block of all
the Swedish officers from the beginning), began to dabble in politics and
intrigue and assumed a bullying tone in his correspondence with other depart
ments. He twice threatened the Finance Agent here with exposure to “ the
people ” and to the gendarmerie a most improper threat and quite inexcusable
in the circumstances prevailing here at the time; and his telegram to the
Resident at Bushire, couched in the language of an ultimatum, has already
been reported to Your Excellency. In many other respects his conduct has
been unsatisfactory, and on more than one occasion he has deliberately lied to
me regarding suspicious movements of the gendarmerie, &c.^ And I more
than suspect him of being privy to and assisting the German intrigues.
P.eseived on 2 S £ 1 5 1315 witil
INDIA FOREIGN SECRETARY’S
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Letter. Ko. o.t m
rated 0 AUG ! 915