'Persia, Herat, and Seistan' [‎88v] (20/28)

r i f
20
He will send to me an officially authenticated copy
of this paper this afternoon or tb-morrow.
“ Still further conditions, if thought desirable,
might, I think, possibly be obtained/’
this
the
telegram
£
1
were
ollowing day
The papers mentioned in
received by Mr. Thomson on
(November 8th).*
On the 11th November the Secretary of State
addressed the Viceroy by telegraph, in the follow
ing terms
“Foreign Office feels that events make decision
as to Persian proposals important. Danger of Persia
drawing off to Bmssia. We know little of Herat
and its Government, or inclinations of the people.
Can you let us have Stewart’s and St. John’s
opinions by telegram ?
“ Foreign Office has sent following telegram to
Thomson, which shows urgency of the case:—
“‘The proposals which you have made to the
Persian Government, and which have been accepted
by them, have been considered by the Cabinet.
“ ‘ The Cabinet entertain very friendly sentiments
to the Shah, and are not indisposed to reconsider
that clause of the Treaty of 1857 which concerns
Herat. But they do not possess in sufficient detail
the procedure which the Shah contemplates fol
lowing. Supposing that the British Government
were willing to waive the treaty on the conditions
agreed to by the Shah, how would he propose to
deal with Herat ? Does he propose immediately to
occupy it by Persian troops, and, if so, what proba
bility is there of his being able to occupy it without
resistance ? ’ ”
To this telegram the Viceroy replied* thus :—
“ Secret. Yours 11th. Opinions of Stewart and
St. John in accompanying telegrams.
“ From Stewart. Begins. Your telegram, 12th.
It may be well to stipulate that under given cir
cumstances Herat will be liable to be resumed, but
I think that Persia should not be expected to do
more to retard Russian advance on Merv than
refuse direct or indirect assistance. It would be a
mistake to spend more money on defences of Herat,
as city cannot be held against modern artillery.
“ Unless England is prepared to make the seizure
of Merv a cause of war, I do not see how we can
legitimately prevent her going there eventually.
It is only a question of organization and money.
The simplest way of meeting these difficulties is to
come to an understanding with Russia, telling her
the precise points to which we mean our influence
to extend; but no advantage is to be gained by
claiming more than we know we can hold in case
of need.
“ With Persia as our neighbour in Herat, the
Gandahar provinces would be more easy to manage
than if held by a weak semi-independent Chief.
Ends.
* From Foreign Office, November 10th
1879.
* Telegram dated 16th November.