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File 1912/897 Pt 1 ‘Persian Gulf. British post offices [also in Turkish Arabia]’ [194v] (393/462)
The record is made up of 1 volume (227 folios). It was created in 1911-1914. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
I concur in the views expressed in this telegram, and consider that it would
be prejudicial to British interests to allow an appointment of the proposed nature
to be made. Recent difficulties experienced on the Shiraz road where a strike of
postmen was only brought to a conclusion by the intervention of His Majesty’s
Acting Consul at Shiraz and myself have not impressed me favourably regarding
the ability or tact of the Belgian Administrator General of Posts here and I do
not think it advisable to increase his powers by allowing this appointment or by
effecting a change in existing arrangements as regards postal affairs in the Gulf,
The present volume of correspondence at Bushire and in the Gulf does not
justify an expensive change in the present system and I understand that this
opinion is privately shared by the Treasurer-General.
I have therefore brought to the notice of Monsieur Mornard the objections
to this appointment and have requested him to hold the matter in abeyance until
1 have ascertained the views of His Majesty’s Government who have special
postal interests in the region affected.
I have the honour to be,
with the highest Respect,
Sir,
Your most obedient,
humble servant,
(Sd.) W. TOWNLEY.
The Right Honourable
Sir Edward Grey, Baronet, K.G., M.P.,
etc., etc., etc.
Paraphrase of telegram No. 240 of October 14 th, 1912^ from H<s Majestys
Consul-General, Bushire.
Proposed appointment of a Belgian Director of Post, Bushire.
Under date of September 15th, I addressed a despatch to the Legation
expressing the opinion that the increase in the number of Belgian officials in the
south of Persia is generally opposed to our interests : in the present connection
there are specific reasons for deprecating this further appointment.
1 would urge that in any case the parlous state of the finances of Southern
Persia, which is forming the subject of separate correspondence, gives us ample
grounds for objecting to the establishment of another expensive Belgian official
as unnecessary in practice and unjustifiable in theory. On every occasion in
the past on which they have been identified with the Post Office, Belgian officials
(doubtless at first under Russian influence) have endeavoured to interpret the
postal rules in a manner calculated to curtail our prescriptive privileges in postal
matters in the Gulf Ports and to ignore in general the special position we enjoy
there. Shortly after their arrival they attempted to force us to abandon the
Indian Postal rates in the Post Offices of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, a privilege which
we had enjoyed for 40 years, I would invite a reference to Legation Despatch
No. 223 to the Foreign Office of December 9th, 1904, etc., for further examples.
Again when the Belgians took over the control of the posts in Arabistan
in 1905 one of their first steps was to endeavour to abolish the private courriers
of British merchants. They made, however, no attempt to improve the postal
facilities in return. It was found necessary in this case to enter a ^vigorous
protest at Tehran to obtain a fair examination of the matter.
Copies of correspondence reached me from India only by last mail showing
that an unsuccessful attempt had been made by the Director-General of Posts
About this item
- Content
The volume comprises copies of printed correspondence, typewritten correspondence, handwritten notes and other papers. These papers relate to the operation of British and Turkish post offices in Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. (Iraq), and British and Persian post offices in Persia and the ports and towns of the wider Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Zachariah Cox); Foreign Office officials (Secretary, Sir Edward Grey; Assistant Under-Secretary, Sir Louis du Pan Mallet); 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. officials (including Permanent Under-Secretary of State for India, Thomas William Holderness).
The volume covers the following subjects:
- communications between British and Turkish Government officials over a Turkish Government proposal to abolish foreign (including British) post offices in Ottoman territory, including: British acceptance of the proposal, with caveats, Turkish demands for the closure of foreign post offices on 1 October 1914 (f 5, f 8), arrangements for the closure of British post offices, including those at Basra and Baghdad, discussion between British Government and Government of India officials over proposed future arrangements for the transmission of mail from between India and Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. ;
- British Government correspondence relating to the Turkish Government’s plans to introduce its own mail system between Baghdad/Basra and India;
- the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf’s outline of the history of the British postal system in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and his proposals for improvements, which include the opening of new branches at Henjam [Jazīreh-ye Hengām], Charbar [Chābahār] and Ahwaz [Ahvāz], a change of hours to the post office at Bushire, and changes to the service at Fao [Al-Fāw]) as a means of countering the Persian Government expansion of postal operations in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (ff 187-190, ff 178-179), and the Persian Government’s subsequent protestations at the opening of British post office concessions at Henjam and Charbar;
- attempts by the Persian Government, under the direction of its Belgian Director-General of Post (Camille Molitor), to open post offices within the concessionary areas operated by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) at Abadan, and within Britain’s own post office concession at Henjam.
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 (227 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 commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 229; 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.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 1912/897 Pt 1 ‘Persian Gulf. British post offices [also in Turkish Arabia]’ [194v] (393/462), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/242, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026109552.0x0000c2> [accessed 25 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/242
- Title
- File 1912/897 Pt 1 ‘Persian Gulf. British post offices [also in Turkish Arabia]’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:4v, 6r:7v, 9r:74v, 77r:84v, 87r:127v, 130r:148v, 149v:162v, 163v:170v, 173r:173v, 177r:205v, 210r:210v, 213r:214v, 216r:226v, 228r:228v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence