Coll 30/58 'Persian Gulf. Anglo-Persian Relations. Persian insult to British flag at Basidu' [‎416r] (836/1186)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
Printed for the Cabinet. September 1933.
SECRET
O.P. 206 (33).
Copy No. ][Q
CABINET.
I CIRCULATE to my colleagues a memorandum on the recent incident at
Basidu, in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . It is a matter of some urgency to decide upon the
line now to be taken with the Persian Government.
J. S.
September 2, 1933.
A SERIOUS incident recently occurred at Basidu, a naval “ station in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. where the British flag had been flown without interruption for
over a hundred years. The station, a small place on the Persian island of Qishm,
is regarded by His Majesty’s Government as a British concession, but
notwithstanding the long period of uninterrupted tenure the title of His Majesty’s
Government to occupy it is weak. For many years no use has been made of the
concession and it has been retained solely as a political pawn for use in treaty
negotiations with Persia.
2. The facts of the incident are as follows : On the 31st July four Persian
naval officers, amongst them the officer commanding the Persian fleet, landed at
Basidu from a gunboat and hauled down the British flag in the presence of
several witnesses, including a Frenchman and an Italian. The flag was untended
at the time, the caretaker being away.
3. The Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs has informed His Majesty’s
Charge d’Affaires at Tehran that this outrage was committed without the know
ledge or sanction of the Persian Government or of the bhah. In rep y o e
strong semi-official representations which Mr. Mallet has mace pen ing e
receipt by him of instructions as to the demands to ne put forward officially, the
Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs has stated that his Government sincere!}
deplore the occurrence of the incident and have now, on the Shah s instruct ons
issued categorical orders to the Persian navy to avoid all u ? f 1 .g er ( e r e , > i nn ^
naval arrangements, to collaborate m all possible ways with ^Action
stationed in the Gulf, and in future to report for orders before tak ng aOT action
“when confronted with an unusual situation of an international kind. -
Minister for Foreign Affairs has further stated that the
ir, of hi, to
complaints against the Persian «av 7 ,. tp competent officia e^laming that he
had received orders to press forward with the settlement of all such cases.
4 Brieflv then, the Persian Government have, without waiting for an
m • i " ’ r TT-i- yr^ip^tv’s Government, shown a genuine desne to
^ official remonstrance from His Majesty s uo ’ • .p inoidents in
make amends and to guard effectually against a repetition of such incidents
^ future.
fS Thp Question for decision is how far it is desirable to go m demanding
forthelnddenf "sbe^n‘suggestedJljl/Xvernment should
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