Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎83r] (165/544)

3
Sir R. Graham said that the French had agreed to deal with
the Muscat and Sheikli Saad questions as part of the Anglo-French
negotiations regarding Egypt and Morocco.
The Committee agreed—
That it was desirable to arrive at a definite amicable under
standing with the French about Arabian questions generally,
and that the discussion should be resumed when members
were in possession of the Foreign Office revised draft
declaration.
South Persia:
Military and
Political Control.
3. The Chairman said that, as regards the question of political
and military control in South Persia, which had been revived by
the recent Sykes-Gough dispute, some of the recent telegrams from
India appear to require elucidation. On the 30th July India had
wired to Gough (E.C.-9S2) : “ So long as military situation exists,
General Officer Commanding must, in accordance with usual
practice, be in general political as well as military control, but
Sykes understands that in such circumstances you are ex-officio his
Chief Political Officer and Adviser, to whose advice he must give
fullest weight. . . - Hotson starts shortly to relieve you.” Then
on the 5th August the Viceroy had wired to 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.
(E.C.-I058): “ Hopeless impasse between Gough and Sykes
impresses us more than ever with impossibility of separating
military from political control. Military control must necessarily
be retained in our hands, and until situation clears, it seems to
us essential that political control of I ars should be vested in us
also.” Then, three hours later on the same day, the A iceroy had
telegraphed to Sykes—“ The Government have accordingly decided
that a military situation no longer exists at Shiraz, and that consul
should therefore once more assume exclusive political control,
Inspector-General reverting to his original functions. Sykes s
contention that he should exercise supreme political control so long
as Indian troops are present in South Persia under his command
and liable to undertake active military operations at a moment s
notice appears to the Government of India untenable. I he
Chairman said that he found it difficult to reconcile these messages,
and he further pointed out that the British consul in Fars was
already under the Government of India.
Mr. Shuck burgh explained that there was no intention of
removing Colonel Gough, who was merely proceeding on leave and
would be temporarily replaced by Hotson. rhe second of the
messages referred, be thought, to the immediate situation, and the
third to the larger, general, question of control. The Government
of India s view was that Sykes should exercise both political and
military control only while a '‘military situation existed. BtR
thev still wished that they themselves should have a more decisive
voice in matters of policy in the Shiraz area, which were at present
controlled from Teheran.
The Committee agreed with the views expressed m the Govern
ment oi India telegram of the oth August (E.C.—IOFA) and
that ana change in the Command of the South Persia Rifles,
which might eventually be regarded as necessary, could not
be made until the present situation cleared.
Bakhtiari-land. 4. The Chairman referred to a telegram from Baghdad, dated
27th July (E.C.-953), submitting certain proposals m which the
General Officer ( ommanding-in-Chief had concuired, with a view to
stabilising the situation in Ispahan, ail d of maintaining the
authoritv of the llkhani in Bakhtian territories as the one effective
means of protecting the oil-fields. These proposals were regarded
by Sir C. Marling (E.C.-1002) with considerable misgivings, as he