Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎47v] (94/544)

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Mr. Oliphant thought that any movement of the troops might
t>e regarded as provocative.
The Chairman said that the policy of India had been to adopt a
conciliatory attitude, and he, therefore, suggested that the Indian
Government should be advised to defer any forward movement.
Mr. Montagu suggested that any telegrams sent to the Indian
Government should indicate that we were about to consider the
question of negotiating on the lines which had been suggested by
the Viceroy.
General Macdonogh, in reply to a question by the Chairman,
said that the Malleson-Meshed Mission and the cordon in North-
Kast i’ersia were under the Indian Government. As regards the
instructions which his department had sent to Major liedl about
interrupting the Transcaspian Railway, these had been despatched
as a result of a decision by the War Cabinet the previous Monday,
fire main interest of the War Office was to have a line extending to
Enzeli and facing west.
(It icas pointed out that the Meeting on Monday had been a Conference
only and not a Meeting of the U ar Cabinet.)
The Chairman said he understood the Committee to agree that
Central Asia was, in future, to be under India and not the War
< ffiice. He further remarked that the telegram issued by General
Macdonogh had included a reference to certain questions which
really had nothing to do with the War Office, e.g., the Bolsheviks at
Tashkent and Malleson s Mission.
The Committee decided —
(a.) That the War Office should ash the Government of India
to appoint an officer from India with the rank of
Brigadier-General to command all Indian and any
British troops in South Persia. His command would
not include the South Persia Rifles, whim would remain
as at present under Sykes as Inspector-General, but it
would be open to him to apply for the co-operation of
the South Persia Rifles for military action whenever he
thought this necessary.
The above arrangement should be regarded as provisional
pending the consideration of the whole question of piohcy
in Persia, which His Majesty's Government were about
to consider, when the views of the V iceroy would be given
full weight.
(b.) That India should be responsible for all military opera!ions
in South Persia.
(c.) That India should also be responsible for the Pastern
cordon, for all operations from Meshed towards Trans-
caspia and Turkestan, and in Central Asia.
(,1.) That General DunstcrviUe s operations should be definitely
placed under the G.O C., Mesopotamia, who would also
be responsible for Jjizful, Shustar, and, as now, the
Ahwaz oil-fields, and also for all military relations with
the Bakhtiari.
(e.) That the 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. and the War Office should be asked
to infpnn the Government of India and the G.O.C.,
Mesopotamia, accordingly.
(Initialled) C. OF K.
2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W.,
June 21, 1918.