File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎110r] (217/450)

preIrre 0 L th tL A ln^ SOldie u f0r T il J 1 0t ! ler theatre9 ’ and the suiting increase of
pressure on the enemy would conaderably hasten the final result.
volte-face^T^ ^- tW0 t ! 1 1 l ; ngS Were neoe8sar y. : an organisation to work at this
carrying it out ( l inr y 011 spot to study seriously the possibility and means of
their natrfo/i q 11 S enerous intentions and quite prepared to place
neces^tv , n f at the Service of this movement. All that is
necess ny is to unite them and to co-ordinate their efforts.
xj. i 6 -J )eiso ^ " mea., aie quite reliable, and although they are now somewhat
enwlo-i l'T A? llttle 1° coneentrat « them and set them at work. Such an
nrpvim-ill rt 0 ' a nC ! •’ °j. caurse ’ entrusted to any politicians whose worth had not
It, a y ccn su jected to severe tests, or who with the best intentions yet lacked
confidence frtnthl fOlowtre 1 W0Uld ^ eSSential in order *<> command the necessary
The pieliminary enquiry, tlie prospecting as it were, which should precede the
exploiting of the mine, should consist of three phases : —
1. I he sounding of certain elements in the present Government, which I am
convinced, by private information, have already pronounced tendencies in
the desired direction.
“ 2. The exercise of pressure by circles remote from power, but with whom the
Government will have to reckon.
3. Lastly, if these regular and pacific means fail, the organisation of a military
rising by means of a revolutionary propaganda in the army itself.
-^ ie first phase is already by way of being realised, I have taken it in hand
myself, and in a fortnight’s time I shall receive sufficiently detailed information to enable
me to make a definite statement on the subject.
For I do not wish to state anything, and above all undertake anything which
does not offer a real chance of success.
However much I am against violent methods, the two last methods will have to
be faced if they prove to be the only means of arriving at the desired result. In this
case it would be necessary to get into touch with the elements to be roused in Turkey,
and also with those who are ready to devote body and soul to the leading of a revolution,
and who are at present in Malta and Egypt (?). It is an enterprise which can easily
be carried out by means of small subsidies, and does not require any fabulous sums—a few
hundred francs, a few thousand at the most. If I were not myself in a difficult position
through my condemnation and the confiscation of my property, I would have paid the
expenses myself.
“ Three emissaries would suffice : at Salonica, at Malta, and in Egypt. In Roumelia
we have a large number of men on whom we can count, ready to cross the frontier at
our invitation, to offer their services to the Turkish army. They would be received
with enthusiasm, and, being so few, they would almost certainly be divided up among
the various corps. ^ Ihey would then be in a position to convey instructions to such
of the officers as might be found to be in sympathy with the cause.
In Egypt there are numbers of proved officers who are only awaiting the signal
to act. ^ There are two at Malta—Colonel Savfet Bey and Nevres Bey—regarding
whorn it would be useful to sound the English Government and ascertain if their
transfer to Malta was carried out for some important reason or whether this was merely
the result of an unimportant measure.
“ Immediately I have the answer to the first question I will inform you, and will
then ask you to take the steps necesary for the carrying out of any eventual action :
small subsidies, facilities for communication, and correspondence through diplomatic or
other channels.
“ As a sincere friend of the Entente in general and France in particular, I am
quite willing to devote myself to this work for the mutual good of my country and of
the Allies.”
German Views in regard to the Balkans.
An agent reports that at a friendly meeting of several members of the German
and Austrian legations of Berne, as well as the Bulgarian Charge d’Affaires, the
Germans were heard to state, in connection with the question of the Balkan situation,
that the result of the various campaigns in the Balkans was considered to be of vital
importance to Germany, and that in order to prevent the complete overthrow of their