Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎107r] (213/544)

General Macdonogh drew attention to a telegram which had been
received from Baku suggesting the evacuation of 10,000 Armenian
women and children by sea to Enzeli, which pointed to the
possession of ships at our disposal. Such an evacuation might have
serious consequences upon the food situation in North-West
Persia, and w r ould constitute a serious strain on General
Marshall's transport, and might prejudice the possibility of send
ing up reinforcements to Enzeli.
Mr. Montagu emphasised the importance of keeping Enzeli,
and in order to make sure of this, it would be essential to send up
more troops to the Hamadan road.
General Macdonogh stated that the supply of troops along the
Flamadan road, and the maintenance of communication with Baku,
was seriously prejudiced by the reluctance of the Americans to
permit the despatch of 1.300 Ford vans to Turkish theatres of war,
owing to the fact that America is still not at war with Turkey.
Lord Hardinge thought that this difficulty was in process of
being overcome, and that the Ford vans wT>uld be delivered.
The Committee decided—
That the War Office should send instructions to General
Marshall telling him to maintain G.eneral Dunsterville at
tiaku, if 'possible, and requesting him to reinforce the
forces on the Hamadan-Enzeli road, and to stop, at all
costs, the evacuation of the 10,000 Armenian women and
children.
At a later stage of the meeting, a more recent telegram was
received by General Macdonogh, giving information to the effect
that Colonel Clutterbuck had arrived at Enzeli, having left Baku
on the 6th September. On that date the town was still holding out,
and rumours were current that the Turks were withdrawing. It
was commonly reported that the Germans, and not the Turks,
would occupy"Baku. There was no news from Bicharakoff, and
Turkish battalions had reached Mianeh.
Suggested Unifica
tion of Political and
Military Control in
the Eastern
Theatres of War
under India.
2. The Chairman read to the Committee a telegram (E.C.
1295) from the Commander-in-Chief in India, dated the 21st
August, regarding the strategic situation in Mesopotamia, Persia,
and Trans-Caspia, in which he argued in favour of a unified com
mand to be exercised from India. :
General Macdonogh stated that the main fallacy contained in
this telegram lay in the appreciation given by the Commander-in-
Chief regarding the military policy which the Germans might be
able to carry out. The War Office took the view that it w^ould not
be possible for the Germans to take advantage of the comparative
cessation of military operations on the Western front during the
winter months to indulge in any big campaign in the East. He
read to the Committee a draft reply to the Commander-in-Chief in
India’s telegram, which would be circulated to the Committee
forthwith for observations. In regard to the railway construction
programme submitted by the Commander-in-Chief in India, the
War Office took the view that the output of rails in India should be
at the disposal of the Empire as a whole, and not Indian projects
onlv. Sir Sam Fay was counting on 600 miles of Indian rails for
authorised construction in Mesopotamia. Further, they held that
any prolongation of the Mirjawa Railway beyond that already
authorised by the Committee was undesirable.
Mr. Balfour recalled that this problem had been carefully
examined by the Committee of Imperial Defence, who had come to
the conclusion that it w T as most undesirable to extend the railway,
which would be extremely vulnerable in the event of Afghanistan
becoming hostile.