Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎33v] (66/544)

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by the time that the force was ready, Dimsterville would be able to
proceed to Baku at all.
General Smuts suggested that General Marshall be instructed
to continue his preparations and to get the road in order, but, before
any move was made, to await our explicit authority. He agreed
with the Chairman that, in the course of the next four weeks, there
might be considerable developments.
General Macdonogh said that what the Chief of the Imperial
General Staff wanted was that before he started for Baku, Dunster-
ville should make sure of the Kasvin-Enzeli road. If Dunsterville
tried to go to Baku, which he would have to do by sea, he would
proceed on his own responsibility, and unless he secured the fleet he
would certainly run the risk of being cut off
Mr. Balfour said he failed to perceive the relation between the
security of the road and Dunsterville’s proposed mission. It appeared
to him to be two entirely separate problems which had no connection
either tactical or strategical, or in regard to supplies and
population, &c.
The Chairman agreed that the two problems were distinct, but
the one was the chronological sequel of the other. If Dunsterville
went now, he would leave the road open ; if, however, he went when
the road had been made safe he would be conducting an entirely
independent operation. All the Committee had to agree upon now #
was, that nothing should be done until the full equipment for the
road had been provided, and that when this took place, our sanction
should be asked before further action was taken. Meanwhile,
Dunsterville could make the necessary preparations.
Mr. Montagu considered that General Marshall’s proposition
that Dunsterville should have a free hand must be turned down.
General Marshall had said that Bicharakoff would go to Baku and
Astrakhan as soon as our thousand infantry arrived, and Dunster
ville’s own proposal was to despatch the armoured cars with
Bicharakoff. Mr. Montagu said that he wished to know exactly
what was the position with regard to the armoured cars.
General Macdonogh said that it was not easy to follow' from the
telegrams exactly what was really intended. It appeared to him,
however, that the .suggestion was that Dunsterville should wait until
the armoured car squadron and the Ford unit arrived on the Kasvin
road. When these forces were actually on the road, Dunsterville
would send Bicharakoff with the armoured car squadron to Baku.
He understood that the decision of the Committee w'as to telegraph
to General Marshall that all preparations should be made to send f
Bicharakoff and the armoured car squadron, in due course, to Baku,
but before they actually started we must be referred to again.
It was decided—
That the War Office should telegraph to the General Officer
Commanding, Mesopotamia in the above sense.
Situation in South
Persia.
Sir P. Sykeg.
2. The Chairman said that a telegram had just been received
from the Commander-in-Chief, India, dated the 4th June (E.C.-464)
forwarding a telegram of the 3rd June from Sir P. Sykes. Sir P.
Sykes stated that Soulet had offered conditions to Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). Firmah
to the effect that the British should engage neither to interfere with
his tribes, nor to enter his territory ; that Soulet had approximately
9,000 men within 85 miles of Shiraz and was expecting further
reinforcements within a week ; that he was, to-day, not merely
Chief of the Kashgais but the head of a powerful confederacv
supported by German money and engineered by German brains.
Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). Firmah and the Kawam were both friendly though the latter
would not answer for his people. For the present Shiraz was quiet,
but Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). Firmah and the Kawam said that il Indian troops were