Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎37v] (74/544)

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(e.) That the War Office should telegraph to the G.O.C. Mesopo
tamia, instructing him to tell General Dunsterville that he
should arrange, if possible, to destroy the oil reservoirs
and pipe lines at Grozny and at and near Baku.
Oawasua: 2. The Director of Military Intelligence reported that, since the
Ifmnadan-Kasvin last meeting of the Committee, much had been done to push up
hoad. troops on to the Hamadan-Kasvin line. At Manzil there were 100
Russians and 2 machine guns. Captain Wagstaff was at Zinjan
with 61 officers and men, and 2 L.A. cars, and some irregulars.
At Kasvin there were now Bieharakoff, with 3 field guns, 1 moun
tain gun, 6 machine guns, with personnel of 1,100, and also a
squadron of the 14th Hussars, with a company of the Hampshire
Regiment, and 2 L.A. cars. At Hamadan there were a platoon of
the Hampshires, half a Ford-car column, 9 L.A. cars, and 3 aero
planes, and it was proposed to raise 1,800 levies there. At Kerman-
shah there were half a Ford-car column, with personnel of 500, 2
platoons of the Hampshire Regiment, and a wireless station. Half
the Ford-car column might be concentrated at Hamadan by the
12th instant, and as General Marshall had reported that he could
reach Kasvin in 15 hours from Hamadan, it was possible that,
exclusive of levies who would be used for the purpose of security,
about 2,500 officers and men with 9 armoured cars, but practically
no artillery, could be concentrated at Kasvin by about the 15th of
this month. This meant that Teheran was now secure against a raid.
The Chairman regarded this information as most encouraging,
and thought that what had been done rellected great credit upon
General Marshall.
Mr. Keynes said that he wished to bring to the notice of the
Committee a financial question connected with this road. On the
0th June, the G.O.C., Mesox^otamia, had wired (X. 9305) that he
had received a message from General Dunsterville to the following
eilect: that the Hamadan-Kasyin road and thence to Teheran to the
east, and to Enzeli to the west, was owned by a Russian Road
Company, whose income from tolls had practically ceased during
the war. The road needed considerable repair, and the Company,
before permitting Dunsterville to use it for military purposes,
demanded payment. Dunsterville proposed to oiler them 2,500
tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a week on condition they kept it in thorough repair and
allowed the troops the use of buildings on the road and of the
telephone to Hamadan, Teheran, and Enzeli. Mr. Keynes said that
the point was, whether we should ourselves look after the road or
whether we should entrust its repair to a practically non-existent
Company. He thought that, in the first instance, our agreement
with the Company, if made, should not extend beyond two months,
and that this period should not be extended unless Dunsterville
was satisfied that the Company kept improperly repaired.
The Committee decided —
(a.) That General Dunsterville should draft a contract with
the Boad Company, and submit it to them for their
approval before it was finally ratified.
(b.) That payment at the rate suggested by General Dunsterville
should be authorised so long as that ojficer was satisfied
that the repairs were properly carried out.
(c.) That General Dunsterville should report at the end of two
months as to whether the Road Company were performing
their share of the contract properly.
(d.) That the War Office should be asked to take the necessary
action to give eff ect to the above.
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