![File 747/1913 Pt 2 'Persia- Loans. Swedish gendarmerie' [‎238r] (490/494)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000f9/IOR_L_PS_10_354_0490.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "File 747/1913 Pt 2 'Persia- Loans. Swedish gendarmerie' [‎238r] (490/494)")
File 747/1913 Pt 2 'Persia- Loans. Swedish gendarmerie' [238r] (490/494)
The record is made up of 1 volume (238 folios). It was created in 14 Apr 1913-5 Oct 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.
. fl"
(?'<
N
PERSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
ASIA.
- - —\
i; - :
B - ^ r;:
[February 5.]
fc •. «s» "
Section 1.
[1491]
'ZJ ;
No. 1.
^ No j y , Sir Edward Grey to Sir W. Townley.
^ ^ ^^y^^ eCe ^ e fr , ^ 0 |u r l^o.^'sTof the^24th^DecMaber^enqiArmgwhether/^|!»
ie intention of His Maiesty s Government to makpi n x
it is the intention of His Majesty’s Government to make to the Persian GoTOrmnent a
further financial advance on account of the Ears gendarmerie force at the end of the
year, for which the sum of 100,0001. was lent in May 1913.
While I realise fully that the gendarmerie may be essential for the proper govern
ment ot Persia, it is not to be expected that the British taxpayer will continue to pay
foi the maintenance of the force. Before I am prepared, therefore, to consider the
question of approaching His Majesty’s Treasury regarding a further outlay of 100 0001
I must have conclusive evidence to show, if necessary, that the Persian Government
could not finance the scheme themselves, and that I have made every effort to induce
them to fulfil their own most elementary obligations by meeting the charges on account
of the maintenance of law and order out of the country’s own resources. If Persia
continues to receive instalments of funds whenever the need arises she will never pay
her own way. " ^
I accordingly request you to urge the Treasurer-General in the strongest manner to
find the necessary money out of Persian revenues.
As regards the difficulty experienced by the acting British consul at Shiraz in
inducing the Swedish officer charged with keeping the accounts of the force to submit
them f ir proper control, it is difficult to understand how any public official conversant
with civilised methods of administration can seriously claim exemption from the
universally accepted rule governing the disbursement of public moneys in all countries,
a claim which is, moreover, in complete contradiction to the terms on which the advance
was made, as mentioned in your telegram No. 260 of the 13th July last. You should
accordingly use your influence in every way to support the demand of the Finance
Department for the rendering of proper accounts by the gendarmerie officers, and you
may inform the Swedish commandant of the force, and warn Major O’Connor, that
unless such accounts are duly rendered there can be no question of continuing to'make
money from British sources available for the purposes of the force.
I am, &c.
E. GREY.
[2044 e—1]
;onv v f r ' &
w
3:,
T.„1
0 FEB 1914 ;
-9FEB1914
About this item
- Content
The volume comprises copies of correspondence, minutes, telegrams, and other papers relating to the financial advances made by His Majesty’s Government and the Government of India to the Persian Government. The only loan discussed was of the amount of £50,000 to be payable to the Persian Government through the Imperial Bank of Persia.
The correspondence was mainly about whether it is in the British Government’s interest to support the Fars gendarmerie or not. This was in response to a number of incidents that took place in the Kazerun region, and the direct involvement of the Fars gendarmerie led by Swedish officers in the affairs. Criticism was raised against the Swedish officers for misleading the gendarmerie, and a suggestion of their withdrawal from service was made. The Swedish Government then contemplated withdrawal of its officers from service in Persia.
The correspondence deals with arrangements for the payment of the loan, conditions attached to it, the agreement of terms between the British, the Persian and the Swedish Governments, and the date of commencement of repayments.
In July 1914, a loan of £50,000, was made by the British Government to the Governor-General of Fars (half of which was to be payable by the Government of India), in order to assist Persia in order to avoid a breakdown of the gendarmerie organization. It was made clear that the British Government fully realized that to allow the gendarmerie scheme in Fars to collapse would be detrimental to British interests.
The volume’s principal correspondents are: Sir Walter Beaupre Townley, British Minister at Tehran; Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Major William Frederick Travers O’Connor, Acting Consul at Shiraz; and Sir Esme William Howard, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Sweden.
The volume’s core correspondence covers the period February 1914 to October 1914. The earlier start date given for the volume is a result of correspondence included in a confidential enclosure on Persian Government loans (ff 94-97); itself dated April- May 1913, which is an historical précis of loans given to Persia by the British Government and Government of India in the year 1913.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (238 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
The subject 747 (Loans to Persia) consists of 3 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/353-355. The volumes are divided into three parts, with each part comprising one volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 240; 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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
File 747/1913 Pt 2 'Persia- Loans. Swedish gendarmerie' [238r] (490/494), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/354, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100029549146.0x00005b> [accessed 16 August 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100029549146.0x00005b
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100029549146.0x00005b">File 747/1913 Pt 2 'Persia- Loans. Swedish gendarmerie' [‎238r] (490/494)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100029549146.0x00005b"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000f9/IOR_L_PS_10_354_0490.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000f9/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/354
- Title
- File 747/1913 Pt 2 'Persia- Loans. Swedish gendarmerie'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:51v, 52ar:52av, 52r:65v, 68r:79r, 80r:96v, 97v:162v, 163ar:163bv, 163r:188v, 190r:218v, 220r:227v, 228ar:228bv, 228r:239v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence