Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎68r] (135/544)

The Chairman said that the proposal that the officers should be
under Dunsterville was, he understood, a temporary arrangement
only, as Dunsterville was on the spot and Malieson had not yet
arrived.
General Macdonogh said that the control of these officers,
severally, depended again on the command of the Caspian Sea which
came within the sphere of the General Officer Commanding,
Mesopotamia. The War Office, however, accepted the suggestion of
the Indian Government.
Mr. Balfour thought that any operations on the Caspian should
be under the orders of the G.O.C., Mesopotamia, but that east of
that sea they should be under the Indian Government.
The Committee decided—
To accept Mr. Balfour’s suggestion, and instructed the India
Office and War Office to take the necessary action to inform
those concerned.
Mr. Shuckburgh said that the second point raised in the
Viceroy’s telegram was that, as the Meshed Mission was a military
Mission, and fell within the sphere of control allotted to India, the
Indian Government assumed that communications on the subject
would be addressed by 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. to the Government of India,
Army Department; and they wished to be informed definitively
whether they would receive the orders of the War Cabinet through
the Secretary of State lor India or the Secretary of State for War.
In any case, in their view, it would be necessary for the Commander-
in-Chief to keep the War Office informed of the progress of the
Mission, owing to its connection with the present, and possibly pros
pective, operations. Mr. Shuckburgh said that the view of the India
Office was that communications relating to the Mission should be
addressed by the Secretary of State for India to the Government of
India, and not by the War Office to the Commander-in-Chief.
General Macdonogh said that the War Office concurred, but
maintained that purely General Staff matters must still be under
the War Office and the Comm mder-in-Chief in India.
The Committee decided—
To accept General Macdonogh’s suggestion, and instructed the
War Office to take the necessary action.
General Macdonogh, proceeding, said that two “clear the line”
telegrams had been received from the Commander-in-Chief in India
forwarding communications from Major Redl. The first one was
dated the 10 th July (E.0.-796) saying that there was one eventuality
which required special consideration, ie., the possibility of pursuit
by the victorious party in the event of either belligerent party
crossing the frontier in order to take refuge with our Officer
Commanding. The second telegram, dated the 12 th July (E.C.- 793 ),
stated that on the 11 th July Kedl had telegraphed that he had been
informed by the representative of the Turkestan Union that
preparations in Trans-Caspia were less advanced than he had been
given to understand, and the previous day the representative had
informed Colonel Gustchin, whose assistance in that region he had
requested, that he counted on Trans-Caspian elements assembling,
and organising and obtaining arms on Persian territory, near
Lutfabad. Gustchin had objected that the Persian authorities
would eject them ; on which the representative had replied that it
would be given out that men were being enlisted as partisans of the
British, and the oiganbation would proceed under the British fiao-
until tlr-y were ready to act. This, Major Real pointed out, was a
very different matter from the “ moral support ” which it was under
stood that our detachment would furnish. Major Redl enquired
whether, in the circumstances, the departure of the detachment
should be postponed from the 15th July, as had been arranged, until
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