Page 453 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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FOB TUB YBA.B 1910.
Consul at Bandar Abbas on behalf of a numbor of Laris, through one Saji
VehcLi Jjai i, who, His Majesty's Consul at Bandar Abbas says, has rendered
considerable service to the British. The connection of these Baris, of whom 60
arrived armed in Saidabad the day be! ore the attack, with Hussain Khan's coup,
js however one of the least doubtful facts in tho whole affair. They probably
only ofTer another instance of the Persian fixed policy of securing oneself
against all contingencies by playing on both sides at the same time.
After tho failure of Hussain Khan’s coup no further trouble of a serious
nafuro was experienced by the troops in Sirjan up to the end of the year. The
presence of the Adl-us-Sultan and Agha Murad Khan was however felt to be
inconvenient. They both professed devotion and made much of small apparent
services, but the services scorn often to have consisted in overcoming difficulties
created by themselves, and it is believed that they were both in frequent
friendly communication with the enemy. His Majesty’s Consul consequently
had them both summoned to ICcrman by the Governor-General and Sardar
bTiu°rat. Belay in conforming with the summons ensued, but the Adi
eventually came in and Agha Murad was later brought in by Major Farran,
who made a tour, in November, through Baft and Sirjan. Both have since
remained, apparently contentedly, iu the town.
Besides the suspicion, amounting to'certainty, that the Adi knew more
about the escape and movements of tho prisoners than he should have done, he
is also to be blamed for having failed in his mission to recover the money and
property robbed from the Germans There is reason to believe that the failure
was more apparent than real and that the Adi returned to Kerman a richer man
than he left it.
Agha Murad Khan is also believed to have rewarded himself liberally for
his services. On his return the Adi lost no time in pressing his merits and
services on the notice of His Majesty’s Consul, but be met with a rather chilly
reception. His Majesty’s Consul further counselled the Sardar Nusrat to arrange
for his brother to leave Kerman for a year or two. The advice was not taken,
but it is now always open to His Majesty’s Consul to sanction the enquiries into
the conduct of the Adi iu regard to these two matters, which the Prince, for
purposes of his own, has repeatedly urged on him. The matter has been under
consideration for some time (3rd March 1917) and the hunting of the Adi
presents attractions, but also countervailing difficulties.
On tho arrival of General Sykes few traces of the Germans remained in
the town of Kerman. The principal were
Gormans and Democrats.
Bruggmann and one or two servants and a
miscellaneous collection of correspondence and seditious literature designed for
use m India. The correspondence includes reports on the progress of German
affairs in Kerman, and copies of handsomely got up printed letters addressed
to the Amir, the Maharaja of Nepal and the leading Ruling Chiefs of India.
General Sykes’ efforts were therefore chiefly directed to investigating the
cases of the principal local Persian “ Democrates ** who had not fled the town.
A number of these were brought to book and sentence was passed on them.
A few of the more important of these cases may be mentioned, as in each
instance after General Sykes’ departure strenuous attempts were made by the
Persian Government and others to have his judgments annulled.
Shahriar Khuda Bakbsh and Sons and Rustam Kaikhasrau and Sons,
the Gabri firm known as 44Surusltiyan” and 4< Kayanian” were sentenced
to pay compensation and a fine, amounting in all to 17,£00 tomans, for
having bought much of the stock of the Oriental Carpet Manufacturers, Limited,
from the Germans, which they afterwards disposed of at a great profit. This
payment was to be made in seven fortnightly instalments of 2,500 tomans.
The delinquents at once succeeded in obtaining the good offices of the
Russian Consul and later of tho Russian Legation, who urged that they were
leaseholders of the Amin-i-Znrb a Russian protegd, and it was proposed that
lhe case should be re-oxamined by Hh Majesty’s Consul and his Russian
colleague. To this His Majesty’s Consul objected, and His Majesty’s Minister
succeeded, it would appear, in inducing llio Russians to drop the matter. The
ersian Minister for Foreign Affairs was then invoked and, apparently without
notifying fhe British authorities, sent orders to the Kargusar that only