"بلاد الرافدين. اللجنة" [و‎‎٢‎٩] (٢٥٦/٦٠)

COPY TELEGRAM PROM VICEROY, DATED 16th FEBRUARY 1915,
H.3321. Reference your No. 1646 o,f 12th February.
At an early period in the present crisis we promised to
contribute two Indian divisions and one cavalry brigade for
Imperial purposes or, should a serious emergency arise, three
divisions. We based our calculations on supposition that we
should retain here remainder of our Regular British troops.
We have actually sent abroad all our Regular British troops
except eight battalions of Infantry, thirteen batteries of
Horse and Field Artillery, six Mountain batteries, and sixteen
companies of Garrison Artillery, and we have reduced Horse and
Field batteries which remain to four guns each. We have also
sent abroad following Indian Regular troops in all:- 16i Indian
Cavalry, 64 battalions of Infantry, six Mountain batteries-
In exchange we have received 35 battalions of Territorial
Infantry and 29 batteries of Territorial Artillery, none of
which are as yet efficient, and of those the units of the 2nd
Wessex Division are in a very elementary condition. We receive
disquieting reports as to condition of rifles with which
Territorial troops have been sent out, many being unserviceable,
which we cannot replace. Little or no spare equipment came
with the Artillery. Hence it will be evident that we are now
holding India with forces much below anything hitherto
contemplated. We are strongly of opinion that we have reached
limit of risk which can justifiably be imposed on people of
India, who pay for the Indian Army. As to Mesopotamia, we
regard position with grave anxiety, for all the news we receive
of .Turkish movements seem to foreshadow a great concentration