Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎63v] (126/544)

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telegram. The paper stated that, on the 14th May last, Sir C.
Marling had been authorised to subsidise the Persian Cossack
division at the enhanced rate of 200,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. monthly for May,
June, and July, and 120,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. for the succeeding months ; but
that the force, owing to the indiscipline which prevailed, was of
little or no military value. General Macdonogh thought that it was
desirable to bring home to the Russian officers of the division, who
no doubt regarded their employment outside Russia at the present
time as being peculiarly fortunate for themselves, the fact that they
were entirely dependent on the generosity of the British for the
continued payment of their salaries. The War Office therefore
suggested that a reply in the following sense should be sent to
Sir C. Marling :—
(a.) His Majesty’s Government are not prepared to continue to
subsidise the division so long as it is apparent that the
force allows itself to be used to oppose British interests.
(b.) Sir C. Marling should inform the Russian Officer Com
manding the division of the above decision, pointing out
that His Majesty’s Government are finding the salaries
of the Russian officers and non-commissioned officers.
(c.) Sir C. Marling should urge that, in order to retain the
financial support hitherto afforded by His Majesty’s
Government, the force should show their good faith and
loyalty by some signal act of co-operation, such as the
relief of the Indian detachment at Abadeh.
(d.) Failing prompt action as in (c), the financial support of the
Cossack division should be definitely suspended.
The Chairman pointed out that the demonstration against the
Government had started at Teheran, and the Government had ordered
the Cossack guard to clear the streets. In the circumstances it is
hardly possible for the commanding officer of the guard to refuse to
carry out his orders on the grounds that he and his brother officers
were paid by the British. He himself was in favour of adopting (b)
of the War Office proposals—that the Officer Commanding the
Cossacks should be interviewed in the first instance.
General Smuts thought that, if we discontinued paying the
officers it was more than possible that the Shah would pay them in
future with German money. The state of affairs at present at
Teheran was lamentable The demonstration had been started by the
friends of Vossugh, and had the tacit support of Marling, who had,
unfortunately, not first made sure of the attitude of the police.
Mr. Balfour, while sympathising with the War Office said he
was rather surprised at the course they recommended. There was
a Government in Persia which was supported by its own police. It
was surely hardly possible for us to ask that police, even if their
officers were paid by us, to be disloyal to their own Government.
General Macdonogh said that the position was that the officers
were paid by our Minister, who was acting under His Majesty’s
Government’s instructions to secure the advent to power of a friendly
Government. Accordingly he was backing Vossugh, who had started
this demonstration in order to close the bazaars and so bring the
present Cabinet into disrepute. In order to give Marling the
necessary backing, we had sent 2,000 troops up the Hamadan Road,
and Marling’s constant complaints that he was not adequately
supported were not really justified.
Mr. Montagu thought that if Sir C. Marling threw himself heart
and soul into the business of turning out the present Government,
he could achieve his purpose; he was, however, only half-hearted in
the matter. In his (Mr. Montagu’s) opinion, the whole question had
arisen owing to the fact that we were making no real effort to turn
out the present Cabinet. Marling had here a lever to hand to effect
this, viz., he could stop the pay of the Cossacks,