Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎127r] (253/290)

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latter place our patrol? and those of the Bolsheviks appeared to be
opposite each other. This was the situation which led the Govern
ment of India to say that the Bolsheviks were likely to be encouraged
to advance by the presence of our troops.
General Radcliffe observed that from a military point of view
the position of these patrols was unsound, as they would certainlv
have to fall back in the event of any serious hostile advance.
The Chairman asked whether it was not possible to come to
an agreement as to the minimum force recjuired, and to decide where
it should be placed, whether at Meshed or elsewhere ? The Govern
ment of India could then be asked to bear a reasonable proportion of
the cost.
i
Mr. Montagu said that the Government of India were prepared
to bear half the cost of the proposed consular escorts of 300 men at
Meshed and 100 at Seistan, but he must tight the position that the
Government of India were involved in military expenditure in
Persia. They were prepared to pay half of the expenditure involved
in maintaining the forces necessary for the protection of the Resident
and other political officers, but they would not contribute to military
expenditure as such.
The Chairman said that it w T ould be impossible to justify to the
Persian Government a sudden reduction from 3,0"0 to 300. He was,
in any case, under the impression that the local levies on the western
frontier of Afghanistan had always been a purely Indian interest.
His contention was that India had for ye;irs accepted military
expenditure on that frontier and that their participation in the main
tenance of General Malleson’s force was in no sense a new departure.
Mr. Montagu undertook to enquire on this point. He could not
himself see what earthly good Malleson’s force was to India. It was
employed solely in keeping up the spirits of the Persians. It was
regarded by the Bolsheviks as a base camp for operations against
themselves. The Government of India were very short of money,
and if the Bolsheviks were really to advance they would prefer to
spend money within their own frontiers. From a purely Indian
point of view, they would rather save the money now and risk the
possibility of the Bolshevik advance, which could only be satis
factorily met on the frontier itself.
Sir George Barstow observed that Mr. Churchill had made no
provision in the Army estimates for the upkeep of General Malleson’s
force, and, if any expenditure were to be incurred on this, special
provision would have to be made for it by Parliament. It was true
that the drop from 3,000 to 300 was a big one, but the 3,000 were
no more capable of defending themselves against a real Bolshevik
advance than the 300 would be.
The Conference decided —
That the Secretary of State for India should make enquiries,
for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affiairs, as to the pre-war participation of the Government
of India in military expenditure in Persia.
(Initialled)
C. of K.