Great Britain and her Allies were at war with Germany and Turkey, but not with Russia orPersia, and martial law had not been proclaimed in Persian territory occupied with permission of the government by the British troops. The latter, however, met with armed resistance from certain local inhabitants and hostile bands of brigands under Russian Bolshevist leadership. Under these circumstances the British forces in Persia had the right totake the necessary measures to protect themselves against acts harmful to their operations or favorable to the enemy, a right which in general, according to international law,belongs to belligerent forces occupying enemy territory.