File 1408/1904 Pt 2 ‘Persian Gulf: telegraphs. Henjam-Bunder Abbas-cable’ [‎149r] (302/478)

X succeeded, with, tue help oi the JVTushir-ed-Dowleh, in oyercomiu 01 the two
latter objections, hut the Shah was obstinate about the first, and although I pointed
out in the note, of which I have the honour to inclose a copy herewith, that he
would be merely throwing money into the sea by keeping up a Persian’ office at
Henjam side by side with the English one, only to do the same work twice over, he
said he would provide it out of Persian funds and had given orders that M. Nans
should erect the building. M. Nans, I may observe, says that no such order has
been received by him and that he would be very much embarrassed as to how to
execute it.
After discussing the matter with Mr. New, chief of the Persian section Indo-
European Telegraph Department, who was of opinion that the existence of a Persian
office side by side with ours would make no difference whatever, I decided, subject to
your Lordship’s approval, to accept the Persian amendment. It is, as your Lordship
will observe, clumsily worded; the Persian expression “raje be kharejeh,” is untrans-
lateable, as its literal meaning is “ relating (or belonging) to foreign,” but my Oriental
experts say that what it really means is, “ messages for or from abroad”; messages
for or from abroad, from, but apparently not to, Bunder Abbas, having to pass
through the Persian office, I thought it, however, wiser to let it pass as it stood,
without attempting to render it more lucid or precise. The point would never have
been raised had I not been instructed by your Lordship to specially stipulate for the
Henjam end of the line being worked in the English office, for this followed by
implication from Article 1 of the Agreement which provides for a line u connecting
the Indo-European station at Henjam ” with Bunder Abbas, a provision which will
enable us to terminate the line in our own office, letting it pass through, or effect a
junction with, the Persian office, and to some extent to control the latter. A few
other verbal alterations were introduced in compliance with the Shah’s wishes, i.e., in
Article 1 the word “ temporarily,” and “ after which they shall return,” which were
evidently dictated by the intense Persian suspicion of our political designs and to
guard against a permanent occupation of Kishm by British signallers or telegraph
ships.
Whether the Persian office or staff will be provided, at least in the near future,
seems to me problematical. I have repeatedly asked permission from the Persian
Government to erect or repair (i.e., in Seistan) caravanserais, or to execute other public
works for the convenience of our traders, and the answer has always been that “ the
Persian Government will do the work at its own expense.” Months have passed,
however, in spite of repeated reminders from the Legation, without anything being
attempted to give effect to these promises, or, if an attempt is made, the Persian
official sent to carry it out drives the labourers obtainable away, as actually happened in
the case of a kanat for our telegraph station at Nasratabad Sipeh (Kerman), by
robbing them of their wages, or pretending that he has been sent to extort an extra
tax from their village. The Ain-ed-Dowleh has, I imagine, no wish to waste money
in the present critical state of the finances on useless luxuries, and if when the line
is epened next autumn—it cannot now be begun till after the hot weather—the Shah
asks him about the Persian office, he will probably content himself with replying that
“ the necessary orders have been issued,” and we may hear no more about the matter.
The practical difficulties will be considerable as the Arab villages of Henjam already
resent the presence of the Persian customs Mirza, and I have been in correspondence
with the Government of India as to the effect which may be produced on their
relations with our telegraph station by our protection of this representative of Persian
authority. Of course, the situation will be greatly modified if Henjam should
become, as Dr. Schneider is urging the Shah to make it, an international sanitary
station under the protection of the Persian flag.
It may also be anticipated that the new Hussian Consul at Bunder Abbas will
make an attempt, notwithstanding Article I of the Agreement, to introduce a Prussian
signaller into the office there. My Bussian colleague tells me that the opening of the
Bunder Abbas Consulate is not likely to take place immediately and that it is not yet
decided who will be appointed to it, though M. Ovsenko, now Bmssian Consul in
Seistan, is mentioned as a likely candidate.
X Xiciv© czc.
(Signed) ’ ABTHUR H. HARDINGE.