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File 897/1912 Pt 3 ‘Persian Gulf:- British post offices’ [‎151r] (306/684)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (336 folios). It was created in 1920-1922. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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1 m
1 /
Les belligerants recueillis et internes
dans un pays neutre sont assimiles aux
prisonniers de guerre proprement dits,
en ce qui concerne 1’application des
dispositions ci-dessus.
5. Les correspondances deposees en
pleine mer dans la boite d’un paquebot
ou entre les mains des agents des postes
em barques ou des commandants de na-
vires peuvent etre affranchies, sauf ar
rangement contraire entre les Administra
tions interessees, an moyen des timbres-
poste et d’apres le iarif du pays auquel
appartient ou dont depend ledit paquebot .
Si le depot a bord a lieu pendant le
stationnement aux deux points extremes
du parcours ou dans rune des escales
intermediaires, raffranchissement n’est
valable qu’autant qu’il est effectue
au moyen des timbres-poste et d’apres
le tar if du pays dans les eaux duquel se
trouve le paquebot.
Belligerents received and interned in
a neutral country are treated like
prisoners of war, properly so-called, in
so far as the application of the above-
mentioned rules is concerned.
5. Correspondence posted on the high
seas in the letter box on board a Packet
or handed to postal officials on board
or to the commanders of ships may, in
the absence of different arrangements
between the Administrations concerned,
be prepaid by means of the postage
stamps, and according to the tariff of the
country to which the said Packet belongs
or by which it is maintained. If the
posting on board takes place during the
stay at one of the two terminal points of
the voyage or at any intermediate port
of call, prepayment is valid only if it is
effected by means of the postage stamps
and according to the tariff of the country
in the waters of which the Packet happens
to be.
Article 14.
Attribution des taxes.
1. Chaque Administration garde en
entier les sommes qu’elle a per 9 ues en
execution des divers articles de la pre
sente Convention, sauf la bonification
due pour les mandats prevus au § 2 de
I’article 8 et exception faite en ce qui
concerne les coupons-reponse (art. 13).
2. En consequence, il n’y a pas lieu,
de ce chef, a un decompte entre les
diverses Administrations de TUnion, sous
les reserves prevues au § 1 du present
article.
3. Les lettres et autres envois postaux
ne peuvent, dans le pays d’origine, comme
dans celui de destination, etre frappes a
la charge des expediteurs ou des des-
tinataires, d’aucune taxe ni d’aucun droit
postal autres que ceux prevus par la
presente Convention.
Article 15.
Envois expres.
1. Les objets de correspondance de
toute nature sont, a la demande des
expediteurs, remis a domicile par un
porteur special immediatement apres
1’arrivee, dans les pays de 1’Union qui
consentent a se charger de ce service.
2. Ces envois, qui sont qualifies “ ex
pres,” sont soumis a une taxe speciale de
remise a domicile; cette taxe est fixee a un
franc en sus du port ordinaire et doit etre
acquittee complete.ment et a I’avance,
Article 14.
Retention of Postage Collections.
1. Each Administration keeps the
whole of the sums which it collects by
virtue of the various Articles of the
present Convention, exceptions being
made in the case of the credit due for
the money orders referred to in para
graph 2 of Article 8, and also in regard
to reply coupons (Article 13).
2. Consequently, there is no necessity
under this head for any accounts between
the several Administrations of the Union,
subject to the reservations made in
paragraph 1 of the present Article.
3. Letters and other postal packets
must not be subjected, either in the
country of origin or in that of destination,
to any postal tax or postal duty at the
expense of the senders or addressees
other than those prescribed by the present
Convention.
Article 15.
Express Packets.
1. All classes of correspondence are,
at the request of the senders, sent out
for delivery by special messenger imme
diately after arrival, in those countries
of the Union which agree to undertake
this service.
2. Such correspondence, which is
called “ express,” is subject to a special
charge for delivery; this charge is fixed
at 1 franc in addition to the ordmary
postage, and must be fully paid in

About this item

Content

The volume comprises copies of correspondence, telegrams, handwritten notes and other papers. They relate to negotiations between the British Government, the Government of India, and the Persian Government, over the status of British Indian post offices in south Persia, which took place before, during, and after the Congress of the Universal Postal Union, held in Madrid in November 1920. The volume’s principal correspondents include: the British Ambassador to Madrid (Sir Esme Howard); the Persian Minister to Madrid (Hussein Khan Alai); India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. staff (David Taylor Monteath; Leonard Day Wakely; John Evelyn Shuckburgh); Foreign Office officials (including Lancelot Oliphant); the Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs in India (Geoffrey R Clarke); and the British Minister at Tehran (Herman Cameron Norman; Sir Percy Lyham Loraine).

The correspondence centres on a threat by Persian Government officials to raise an official objection against the continued presence in Persia of British Indian post offices at the Madrid Congress. British Government officials were anxious to avoid such a move, fully appreciating the ‘anomalous’ position of their Persian post offices under the regulations of the Universal Postal Union. The correspondence indicates the Government of India’s amenability to handing over certain postal operations to the Persian authorities (folio 251), and the concerns held by many in the British Government over such a prospect (ff 288-289), not least their doubts over whether the Persian authorities could run an efficient postal service themselves.

The volume includes:

  • a commentary of proceedings at the Madrid Congress, including copies of the speeches given by Persian ministers (ff 247-249), description of their reception (f 251), and a printed copy of the Madrid Convention (ff 143-158);
  • correspondence relating to the impact of changes in Anglo-Persian relations (after the 1921 coup d’état in Persia) on Persian demands for the abolition of British Indian post offices in Persia (ff 217-218);
  • throughout 1921, continued demands from the Persian Government for the transfer of British Indian post offices to Persian control, and in particular those now under (post-war) Mesopotamian administration (Abadan and Mohammerah [Khorramshahr]) and the post office at Ahwaz [Ahvāz];
  • from January 1922, debate amongst British officials (Government of India, the Minister in Tehran, Foreign Office, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ) and negotiations between British and Persian Government officials over arrangements for the transfer of British Indian postal services in Persia to Persian administration, with a view to the transfer taking place on 1 January 1922. Included is a copy in French of the agreement between British and Persian officials for the proposed transfer, dated 5 January 1922 (ff 54-57), discussion relating to the importance of sustaining a postal service for areas serving the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) oil fields, and reports of the dismissal of the Director of the Persian postal service (Camille Molitor) in March 1922, causing consternation amongst British officials (ff 47-49, ff 84-91);
  • British officials’ examination of events at the Washington Conference (1921/1922), which provided an analogous diplomatic situation to their own (negotiations for the withdrawal of United States post offices from China) (ff 81-83);
  • the British Government’s assent, in April/May 1922, to the abolition or transfer to the Persian authorities of its post offices in Persia and Arabistan (ff 20-22, ff 66-70).

Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (336 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 897 ( Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. : British Post Offices) consists of 4 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/242-245. The volumes are divided into 4 parts with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 340; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 42-62 and ff 217-321; these numbers are written in blue crayon.

Pagination: a original printed pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 143-158.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 897/1912 Pt 3 ‘Persian Gulf:- British post offices’ [‎151r] (306/684), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/244, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026096502.0x00006b> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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