'File 73/7 IV (D 25) Anglo-Turkish Negotiations' [‎33v] (76/103)

what passed at our interview with him of the 20th August, 1912, Sheikh Khazal was
inclined to start old hares on the boundary line, such as the mid-channel theory ; but,
on the whole, except for the necessity of travelling over the old ground again, we had
little trouble in this connection. The Sheikh did not again raise the question ot the
definition of " connection" in reference to the relation of islands to the mainland at low
water, while on the subject of Hakki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's reservation in regard to the Khaiyin lands
he was £urprisingly sensible—confident, no doubt, in the thought that, in view of
established local facts, it has no concrete significance.
4. We then went on to deal with the question of the Riverain Commission, in
which connection translations of such of the provisions of the convention as affect
Mohammerah were read and explained to the Sheikh. He was very uneasy as to the
probably troublesome results which might be expected to ensue from the control of
the whole of the waters of the river, and vessels afloat thereon, by a Turkish Commis
sion, and from the inevitable activities of its subordinate, employes. In discussing this
problem he again raised the question of the mid-channel line, arguing that from the
point where the Karun, a Persian river, joins the Shatt-el-Arab, it surely was only fair
that Persia should share the possession of the river. But as Haji liais was not present
on this occasion, and we had already been talking for over three hours and the Sheikh
was getting tired, we were unable to dispose of the question of the Commission at this
sitting, and therefore adjourned, leaving the translation with the Sheikh for further
study and discussion with Haji liais, and with the intention of finishing with it at the
Sheikh's return visit to me. Meanwhile—and, indeed, all along—the latter expressed
his firm intention, after talking things out, to comply with our final advice in the
matter.
5. Before parting company I asked him to arrange with his guest, Sheikh Mubarak,
for me to visit him the following forenoon, and told Sheikh Khazal briefly what I had
to say to the former. He himself took a sensible view of the question of the location of
a Turkish agent, recognising its one convenient aspect, ie., as an indication of Sheikh
Mubarak's autonomous position ; and he promised to endeavour to influence his friend
in the right direction.
6. At Sheikh Khazal's visit to the consulate on the 7th, he was accompanied by
Haji Rais, and they brought an old volume of treaties in Persian, containing the text
of the Treaty of Erzeroum, relying on which they started the mid-channel question
again. All the old ground had to be gone over again once more, but the Sheikh and
his factotum were ultimately persuaded that the recognition of the Turkish claim to the
whole river, as provided by the Treaty of Erzeroum, with the alternative of an appeal
to The Hague, had been a necessary step in order to secure, in the Sheikh's own
interests, the frontier that he wanted from the Duwairij southwards to the Khaiyin;
and that no useful object would result from any attempt to reopen that question now.
7. This point having been finally disposed of, the question of the powers of the
Riverain Commission and the delegation of Mohammerah interests to the care of the
British commissioner was then gone into. We found that the right of the (Commission
to deal with vessels in touch with the Persian Bank greatly exercised both the Sheikh
and Haji Rais, especially in view of the wording of the sentence in the declaration
stipulating that the functions performed by the commissioner supervising the interests
of the Sheikh of Mohammerah must be discharged without prejudice to his quality as a
member of the Turkish Commission. The Sheikh feared the contingency of the British
commissioner, perhaps a stranger to himself, being over-influenced by his Turkish role,
and perhaps led to act against Mohammerah interests arbitrarily without consulting its
ruler. We endeavoured to persuade him that his apprehensions on this point were
premature, and that the British commissioner would surely receive all such preliminary
instructions from the British Government as might be necessary to ensure Mohammerah
interests being really protected. Eventually we arranged in concert the draft of a
letter of acceptance for the Sheikh to send me, and this he did in due course. I attach
a translation thereof, and trust that the Sheikh's accompanying stipulation will not be
considered inconvenient or unreasonable.
After settling the terms of this draft we adjourned to other matters of business.
I need not dilate upon the extreme importance of letting the Sheikh feel that the
British commissioner will really be in sympathy with him and see that his interests are
fully protected. To this end I would urge Government to be pleased to consider the
expediency of putting forward for selection as British commissioner the names of officers
conversant with the politics and, if possible, the languages of the Shatt-el-Arab region,
as being likely to have a better chance of establishing confidence and sympathetic
relations with the Sheikh.