Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎53r] (105/544)

11
Our Policy in
Persia:
British Troops at
Teheran.
Baku and the
Caucasus.
3. General Macdonogh referred to a telegram from Sir C.
Marling, dated the 19th June, 1918 (E.C.-598), in which Marling
had urged the immediate despatch of a much stronger force to
North-West Persia than appeared to be contemplated at present;
the numbers need not be very great, but apart from keeping open
the Enzeli Road, or meeting a Turkish advance from Azerbaijan,
which seemed unlikely, they should be sent to garrison Kasvin and
Hamadan, in such strength as to permit the despatch of, say, 1,000
men, in case of need, in the direction of Teheran, and a column
towards Isfahan. General Macdonogh said that the Director of
Military Operations wished to know if we should send a detach
ment of an armoured motor column to Teheran.
The Chairman said that Marling, who must know the diffi
culties. of supplying troops in Northern Persia, kept on saying
that there were not sufficient troops there, and appeared to think
that we ought to have enough troops to put into Teheran.
General Macdonogh said that he had told our Military
Attache at Teheran that he must advise Marling of the military,
and physical, difficulties in supplying any stronger force from
Mesopotamia for Persia. General Marshall was already faced
with great difficulties in supplying even the present force; the
lines of communication extended for some hundreds of miles; our
transport was entirely by motor lorries, and consumed a very large
quantity of petrol. The War Office would certainly sooner have
a division than a battalion in that area, but the difficulties were
almost insurmountable, although we were endeavouring to send out
more cars.
Lord Hardinge was of opinion that we had already quite
enough men on the Hamadan-Kasvin Road.
General Macdonogh said that the War Office saw no necessity
to send troops to Teheran. It was quite sufficient to have a column
at Kasvin.
The Committee decided :—
That in the circumstances the despatch of the stronger force
asked for by Sir Charles Marling to hiorth-West Persia
was not possible, and that the War Office, in consultation
with the Foreign Office, should arrange that the position
should be explained to Sir Charles Marling, and that the
latter should be informed that it was impossible to meet
his demand, and also that in present circumstances it
was unnecessary to send troops to Teheran.
4. General Macdonogh referred to a telegram from the General
Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia, dated the 21st June, 1918
(E.C.-613), stating that on the previous day a detachment of 220
rifles and one gun of Dunsterforce, which left Menzil for Resht
with four armoured cars, were with Bicharakoff; that a wire had
been received from Dunsterville stating that Bicharakoff was com
plaining of our lack of support, that he had opened the road for
us to Enzeli, and to suit our convenience he had delayed his depar
ture to Baku, while we had done nothing but pay for the mainten
ance of his force. Bicharakoff had asked that the four armoured
cars should accompany him to Baku, and our liasion officer strongly
recommended this course. The telegram concluded by saying that,
as Bicharakoff was to go to Baku on the following day, and
an immediate decision was necessary, General. Marshall had
authorised Dunsterville to include four armoured cars, now at
Enzeii, as part of the personnel escort of the officers accompanying
Bicharakoff.