'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎27v] (54/1386)

24
Plie unofficial representations of
following day by an official letter
the Admiralty were confirmed the
Si.
Letter from tlie Secretary, Admiralty, to the Under Secretary- of State, 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.
No. M./X.S. 2818 15, dated 20th April 1915.
1 am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to request that you
will be so good as to draw the attention of the Secretary of State for India to the present
state ol a ft an-s m the neighbourhood of tne Persian oil fields and the pipe line leading thence
to the refining works at Abadan. °
p . 2 ‘ lt . ] !™ V ecen % been established by experiment tliat Toluene can be extracted from
I eisian oil fuel in amounts which are economically highly satisfactory . There is a consider
a )lp demand for olnene for the manufacture of important explosives, and it is therefoi e
e iiinently desirable that a regular and sufficient supply of Persian oil fuel should be main’
ained throughout the Avar. The stock immediately available in this country is limited V d
y Lords therefore desire to lay special stress on the importance of ensuiim the adequacy'.d
arrangements for procurmg constant supplies from the Persian oil fields q } ° f
• fT ,s understood that the safety of tlie oil bearing districts is assured but tl.al
p.pe I,„o has been cat m several places between that locality and Abwaz. ' The , ote' '1, of
the line Avhde repairing operations are being carried out and the snfVtrn inlin.r of f i i
attache^! to^ phHMle^ *‘ 7*7 t0 i .' ,e < U, ' M
Sir,
Letter Iron, the Under Secretary of State for India to the Sec.-eta.y, Admi.alty,
*\o. 1804, dated 21st April 1915.
Li reply to your secret letter No. M./X S 2818 15 of tl.o o ( vi y ■> i o
State for India is fully alive to the importance of v ’ • ' -\P n1 ' tlie Secretary of
enclose, for the information of the Lords Cmnmissioners of thp'^l 1 ,e ] lni, ° lllie ’ anfl 1 am to
(No. 1796 of 19th April) which was dispatched fmm th’.'nm Atlll | 1, ’ alt y a copy of a telegram,
sent to the Viceroy urging the early despatch of •, Cavil . A f '^tHer tdegram has been
and protection of the pipe line.” P Cavalr ^ «^nient for the special patrol
tos!“ le0n ' lle,9thApi ' ilGeneraI telegraphed as follows
made on that arm. Despatch oyanotbM^'c^'^h.y'lj t ,. " le i'. t ‘'a"' 1 ! 1 "'! ' vil ' c !' " ‘H shortly be
Cavalry Regiment is requested. 1 i.uade winch should include a British
obstructions iimriy^r and^other workfudncaule Udllfl ""f’ n T"' ° f lieav T work which
Pioneers.” Cause ’ 1 ^ for the despatch of a battalion of
J o tliis tlie \ iceroy replied on the 23rd April:
Regret yve are unable to supply any move f-n-.i,.,- \\r
we are unable to send more, but yvcconhl raise a Coo ie Corps f‘'‘ e S ° sh ° rt f Pionee r« tlm
if these would be useful.” ^ Loi P s for von ,>,■ send Indus boatmc
This indication of the ideas held by General Nixon drew the foil •
expression of his views from the Secretary of State •— followm ^
“ Telegmm from Ai --
concur in your decision apart V froni impossUybby^of comrdy - 'T* " CaVah '>' n, ' i ^(le I
renders despatch of more troops, especially British, unadvisable"’ ' ^ ai>proach of hot seasmi
Nixons demand implies intention on ln'« n Q1 .f
presume he cleacly understands that Guvernmmd wii n”„T2^ < ’ # T‘7 movement. I
advance beyond present theatre of operations Wo nm't sail< ' ho!l at this moment any
defence of Basra Yilayat and Oil interests inArabisian oni ' s<: ; h ; es du,,in g summer to
direction it is possible to advance to Amara with vieyy to 1 r' b" 11 " U11 ^ eiiem }' in Kanin
control tribesmen between there and Kanin and so W,,ich ' vil1
should be prepared to accept such a proposal provided it is snm-jorted L Gf Ii,u 5 <
plan imolving undue extension and possible deminds for ■ ' i ' ' J i' deprecate any
It. Ue must play a safe game in Mesopotamia." ' k J ,ut:lu lg extending
Major-General Townshend arrived from India on tl,P 09 , A . T
“ j’rr * 2,1,1 stSTsc;
”°" h of X“rs:s. ' I ” ( ,£; i s