'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part II. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎2601] (1118/1262)

J III
2601
officer or his deputy ; and that appeals from the decisions of Directors
should be determined by the central Customs Administration at Tehran
in consultation with the British Minister or his representative.
The terms of the Declaration were interpreted and amplified by an
exchange of notes^, which took place on the 12th February 1903^ between
Sir A. Hardinge and M. Naus. As a safeguard against accidental
errors the tariff sanctioned by the Declaration was now expressly
declared to be the same as that established under the Russo-Persian
Declaration of 1901 ; the 14th of February 1903 was fixed as the date
of the new tariff coming into force in Persia; and an undertaking was
given by M. Naus that any reduction of tariff which might be granted
to Russia would be simultaneously extended to Britain as a matter of
course.
The Declaration had reference chiefly to British trade in Persia;
but the interests of Persian trade in the British dominions were not over
looked. The principal stipulation under this head was that Persian
merchants and merchandise should receive most favoured nation treat
ment in the British Empire^ it being understood that a British
Colony having a special customs tariff, which might cease to grant most
favoured nation treatment to Persian imports, should forfeit the right to
claim such treatment for its own imports into Persia.
In case of the United Kingdom establishing—otherwise than by
previous agreement with Persia—duties on goods liable to pay customs
when imported from Persia into Russia, and in event of the duties so
established being higher than those provided for in the Russian Declara
tion of 1901, Persia should be entitled in her turn to impose correspond
ing duties on articles of the same class arriving from the United
Kingdom; a special Convention would be negotiated for this purpose,
and, in default of agreement, the Declaration of 1903 would become void
and both parties would revert to the regime established by the Treaty of
Peace of 1857. It was made clear, by means of the notes exchanged on
the 12th of February 1903, that the special Convention just mentioned
would become necessary only if the reciprocal augmentations of taiiff
should be contested.
The question whether the preferential tariff of a British Colony in
favour of the United Kingdom could be regarded as disentitling the
Colony to most favoured nation treatment in Persia was raised, and was
eventually settled in the negative. The Declaration was so framed as to
apply in its entirety to Persia and the United Kingdom only ; and the
British Colonies, the separate circumstances of each of which would have
required much time for consideration, were left provisionally under the
most favoured nation regime. This arrangement was made possible by
the courtesy of M. Naus, who, though at the beginning he had opposed
the idea of an Anglo- Persian Declaration altogether, m the end did his
best to expedite the negotiations in order that it might not e oc e
by Russian interference. His attitude in the whole matter was unpre
judiced and conciliatory; and it went far to clear Ins administration
from the charge of Russian proclivities, _ and to prove that he was
actuated by a single-minded regard for the interests of Persia.
The ratifications of the Declaration were exchanged at Tehran on the
27th of April 1903. Great displeasure with Persia was expressed by tne
Supplement
ary agreo
ment, 12tli
February
1903.
Question of
Persian
trade in the
British
Empire.
Question of
the future
adoption of a
protective
tariff by
Great
Britain.
! ' ft
Question of
British Colo
nies.
Ratification
of the Decla ■
y