The Cotton Spies
Page 55
CHAPTER 54
Muncerville’s meeting with the Baku government was less than successful. The first thing the five man Baku Government Dictatorship did was to accuse General Muncerville, almost before he and Fernee had sat down, of betraying them by bringing so few troops. The Government’s Chairman then stated to a chorus of approval that the lack of British support would mean that the Turks were bound to capture Baku. Muncerville countered by denying that he had said that he had promised to bring more soldiers than he had. Muncerville said that all he had told the government envoy, who had come to him at Enzeli to ask for help, was that he hoped that more troops would be sent from Mesopotamia to join him.
Muncerville then stated in as calm a voice as possible that indeed Baku would fall if the Armenian soldiers guarding the city continued to desert in the numbers that his officers were telling him they were doing so. There were howls of disapproval from the Armenians at this last remark with several deputies leaping to their feet shouting and screaming. Fernee thought that at any moment one or two members of the government would leap across the table at the two officers but Muncerville’s size, made them think twice. One of the Government Committee who had a louder voice than most of his fellow members eventually said.
‘General Muncerville our army is a revolutionary army even without the Bolsheviks. Because we are revolutionaries each man makes his own mind up whether to obey an order or not - that is freedom.’
The room burst into applause and then a heated discussion began in Armenian.
Muncerville and Fernee sat quietly until the room fell calm once again enabling Muncerville to announce. ‘The soldiers who I brought with me are as I speak moving to the front line.’ There was a murmur of approval by the committee sitting opposite the British officers. Muncerville studied his hands which he held for a moment pressed together, fingers outstretched. He touched his lips with his hands and then spoke slowly and deliberately. ‘I propose that I take charge of the complete defence of the town including all Armenian troops. That way I can bring co-ordination and discipline to the whole army. It is the only way I believe that we can defeat the Turks.
As soon as the words had sunk in, and at least two of the committee were obviously poor Russian speakers and had to have some of Muncerville’s translated for them, a discussion broke out. A show of hands was made at the end of the discussion and five hands were raised at one point.
‘The committee says no. We will not have Britain establishing a foothold here and then find we cannot get rid of you,’ announced the chairman.
To Fernee’s surprise Muncerville did not argue. That left just one thing to discuss and this Muncerville had deliberately left till last. ‘Chairman, gentlemen, I insist that three ships be set aside in Baku harbour for the exclusive use of my command.’
‘You are going to run away!’ one of the deputies shouted in English. His voice soared above another cacophony of Armenian as the deputies argued and shouted at the chairman or the British Officers almost on a rota basis.
‘Keyworth and Oakes told me it would be like this.’ Muncerville raised his voice until it reached the decibels that a Guards Sergeant Major would have been proud. ‘I need these ships,’ the room quietened, ‘to ferry supplies, remove casualties and bring up possible reinforcements.’
‘And to escape if necessary,’ said the Armenian who spoke English.
‘Yes,’ replied Muncerville, with an honesty that surprised Fernee.
Yet again a discussion in Armenian broke out. Muncerville waited patiently before he again spoke. ‘I am responsible only for the safety of my command so I need the ships. If I am allowed to command all the forces here then perhaps I won’t need them. Will you change your mind?’
Surprisingly bedlam did not break out again but the discussion was animated and lasted nearly twenty minutes. On two occasions there was a show of hands and each occasion the two Britons could see that the vote was five to nil.
The chairman eventually spoke. ‘We have come to two democratic decisions. General Muncerville, we will not allow you to command our soldiers but we will give you three ships.’
A few minutes later when Muncerville and Fernee left the room they could hear another argument break out amongst the government members. On leaving the building Muncerville took out his watch.
‘That was a twenty minute meeting that has taken just over three hours. It does not bode well for us, Captain Fernee. So what about your intelligence operations do we have any agents?’
‘Major McWilliam before he left gave Colonel Oakes the names of people that he used. I think with the town invested we’ll get some information but I fear it will be limited. I do have hopes of one chap though.’
Muncerville neither replied nor broke his stride as the two men walked back to the hotel. As they were entering the hotel a Turkish shell landed a few streets away.