File 6/1912 Part 1 'Persia: Shiraz affairs; attack on Mr Smart; Swedish gendarmerie' [‎375v] (244/472)

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Britisli subjects and British commerce both in the Gulf Ports and on the trade routes from
those ports to the principal towns of the interior. Unfortunately the fact is that for some
years past no such secuiity has existed ; on the contrary, British subjects have been repeatedly
attacked and British merchandise robbed wholesale, with increasing impunity. The latest
and most serious of such outrages has been the attack on Consul Smart near Kazerun above
referred to.
It is obviously not possible for the British Government or any other Government,
however patient, to continue to tolerate such outi-ages from the subjects of a friendly power
and in the last attack they would be warranted in taking the most drastic steps to protect
their interests.
But once again, in order to demonstrate unmistakably the sincerity of their dis
inclination to intervene in Persia or*to take action which would increase the difficulties
of the Central Government, Great Britain has decided to make yet another attempt to
find a pacific solution of the present situation, and satisfaction for the outrage of which a
British officer and British subjects have been the victims, and to afford the Persian Govern
ment further opportunity of providing adequate security for British lives and commerce on
the main arteries of traffic.
The success of their endeavours, however, is likely to be marred or defeated if the Ulema
continue to excite the priests, headmen, and peasantry of Pars by inflammatory exhortations,
and the only result of these can be to force upon the British Government those very measures
of intervention which she is most anxious to avoid.
The Resident, therefore, urges the Ulema to give their co-operation to the British
Government by undoing the harm already done in Pars by their exhortations, and, resting
assured of the sincere desire of Great Britain to avoid intervention, to write and telegraph to
their correspondents in Pars, adjuring them in their own interests and those of their country,
to cease their hostile attitude to British interests, and to co-operate with the officers of the
British Government with a view to specific arrangements being come to for the maintenance
by the headmen and inhabitants concerned of security on the trade routes, especially on the
Bushire-Shiraz route; and also for the prevention of tribal fighting in and around Shiraz.
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Te>ms of a communication which it is suggested, the Persian Government or Regent, might be
induced to telegraph to Mujtahids at Nej^ef and Kerbela.
This is to inform you that in the course of our investigations into an attack recently
made by tribesmen and inhabitants dwelling near the Bushire-Shiraz road upon the British
Consul Smart, while travelling with his consular escort to join his post at Shiraz, the headmen
ot the inhabitants concerned plead as their excuse, that the tribesmen and peasantry of Pars
had become unruly and committed this outrage owing to the receipt of inflammatory telegrams
from the Ulema at Nejef, inciting them to rise and oppose the foreign troops.
In the above circumstances we think fit to inform you such action on your part can only
become a source of great danger to the Government and the fatherland of Persia by causing
incidents of the kind mentioned which the British Government will be unable to tolerate
Your proceedings evidently result from a misunderstanding of the attitude of that Govern
ment, and we therefore inform you that we have received the most categorical and reneated
assurances from its representative that it would be altogether against the wishes and inten
tions of Great Britain to intervene in Southern Persia, and they always have been and are most
anxious to avo.d doing so by every reasonable means of longsuffering and patience, in order
not to embarrass the Government of Persia; but they point out that for a long time past
their subjects and merchandise have been subjected constantly to attacks and robberies on
he trade routes from the coast to the towns of Shiraz, Ispahan and Kerman; that their
patience is becoming exhausted and they cannot tolerate a continuace of such a state of
things The last incident of which they complain has been the regrettable attack on Consul
Smart to which we haye alluded above, in which the Consul himself was wounded.
In order, however, to demonstrate unmistakably its sincere wish to avoid takin-action
which would increase the difficulties of the Persian Government, the friendly covfrnment
has agreed to continue its patience and to give the misguided inhabitants and headmen
concerned an opportunity of affording spontaneous satisfaction to their representatives and
to co-operate with a view to maintaining security on the caravan route.
We exhort you to help the interests of the fatherland and to communicate by telegraph
with the headmen and priests of Pars to the effect that they should for the sake of the
country and the Government cease to conduct themselves in a way which can only arouse the
anger of the Great British Government and deprive the Government of Persia of their
friendship and support; and that they themselves assist the two friendly governments bv
showing friendship to British subjects and British interests and take all possible measures
"5 the ® afet y of the caravan route from Bushire to Shiraz and for the maintenance of
order and tranquillity in and around Shiraz during the coming spring*
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