Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎21v] (42/544)

2
General Dunster-
ville.
Persian Cossack
division.
Vossugli-ed-
1 >uwleh.
South Persia
KiHes.
tlie Committee had not yet been fully grasped by General Marshall.
It was decided—
That the War Office should send to General Marshall a strong
telegram reiterating the importance attached by the Com
mittee to the operations in Persia, and that Sir C. Marling
should be informed thereof.
Lord R. Cecil called attention to the hope expressed by
Sir C. Marling in his telegram No. 422 of the 18th May, that General
Dunstervilie’s requirements might be met. Me also thought it
desirable to enquire direct from this officer what his needs were
and what progress he was making with local levies.
The Committee decided —
That the Director of Military Intelligence should send a telegram
accordingly, and that Sir C. Marling be informed.
On Sir C. Mariing’s telegrams Nos. 412 and 420 of the 14th and
19th May respectively, Lord R. Cecil suggested that, in view of the
unreliability of the Russian officers, it was time to consider whether
they should not be replaced by British or American officers.
The Director of Military Intelligence also was of opinion that
the Russian officers might fail us at a critical moment.
It was pointed out that some weeks ago the matter was referred
to Sir C. Marling, who held that the scheme to impose foreign
officers other than Russian could not possibly be made acceptable
to the then Persian Cabinet.
After general discussion as to the eventual reduction of the
division to the status of a brigade, Lord Curzon pointed out that it
was essential to pay the Cossacks as requested in Sir C. Mariing’s
telegam No. 412, as there was no alternative. General Smuts held
the same view.
It was decided to act accordingly, and to instruct Sir C. Marling
to bear in mind, for use at a suitable opportunity, the desirability
of securing the substitution of British for Russian officers in the
Cossack division or brigade, but that it was desirable to wait until
a friendly Government was actually in the saddle.
Lord Curzon reminded the Committee, with regard to Sir C.
Mariing’s telegram No. 423 of the 18th May, that for months past
our desire had been to secure the return to power of Yossugh-ed-
Dowleh. The Foreign Office and India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. stated that the
present proposals of Sir C. Marling did not exceed the amounts
agreed to by the Committee in March last (telegram No. 132 of
the 7th March to Sir C. Marling), and in these circumstances
It was decided—
That Sir C. Marling should be authorised to take the action he
suggested, in so far as the Treasury and India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. might
be in a position to find the necessary funds.
Sir C. Mariing’s telegram No. 429 of the 20th May having been
read, Sir G. Macdonogh explained the recent operations by the
South Persia Rifles. He added that these measures may have been
undertaken to improve the moral of the force, which had of late
been bad.
No action was called for.
The proceedings of Soulet, referred to in the Persian telegrams,
did not seem to be more than a normal symptom of local disorder.