'Seistan arbitration case' [‎96r] (7/12)

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Section III. —Progress of Arbitration, &c.
The arbitration of the British Government in regard to Seistan having been
accepted by Persia and Affghanistan, Major-General Sir F. Goldsmid was
appointed Arbitrator and left England on the 10th November 1871 accompanied
by Colonel Pollock, Major Evan Smith, and other Officers.
His instructions were to ascertain the status quo of Seistan; to meet the
Persian and Affghan Commissioners at some
Despatch of Secretary of State and pre-arranged point; to acquire all the local
Mr. Alison’s Telegram to Viceroy, 9th [ f f ^ • r n: nnwpr . qru i a f tpr h Pnri ' n p.
August 1870 and 23rd October 1871. miormation m ms power, ana alter ^ nearing
the respective claims ot the Commissioners to
proceed to Teheran with a view to the discussion of the question and the delivery
of an arbitral opinion.
The mission arrived at Bombay on the 3rd December 1871, when it was
decided that General Goldsmid should proceed to Seistan by Bunder Abbass,
whilst Colonel Pollock was to go by Candahar in company with the Affghan
Commissioner.
General Goldsmid reached Bam on the 7th January 1872, at which place he
was met by the Persian Commissioner Mirza
General Goldsmid to Secretary of State, Maasum K han. Sekoha was reached on the
loth January and 31st October 1872. -t . i i tvt • i t mi •
1st rebruary, and Nasirabad on the 5th. This
latter place, which appears to be a fortified post, is described as the Perso-Seistan
capital.
General Goldsmid soon found himself in a position of great difficulty. The
Affghan Commissioner had not yet joined him
General Goldsmid to Secretary of State, whilst the Persian Commissioner stifled all
other S MarCh and 3ISt ^ ’ local in q uir y a nd assumed a tone which is
described as defiant and unfriendly. The
whole effort of the Persian Commissioner was to throw discredit on the Mission;
for, whilst endeavouring to persuade General Goldsmid that under the terms of
Lord Russell’s letter no inquiry was necessary, he forbad the Mission flying the
British flag, prevented its officers from entering towns or villages, gave them
inferior quarters, cut off their supplies when wishing to march to Rudbar or other
places, used insulting expressions in his correspondence,—in fact, did everything
in his power to make all inquiry a failure.
General Goldsmid displayed great judgment throughout this disagreeable part
of his journey; he dwells strongly in all his letters on the bad conduct of the
Mirza; and he had the poor satisfaction afterwards of seeing him punished by a
year’s suspension from office in consequence of his (General Goldsmid’s) strong
representations to the Persian Government.
Colonel Pollock joined General Goldsmid with the Affghan Commissioner on
the 8th of March 1872, near Nasirabad. But
nfh"?^ 40860 ^ 018 " 46 ’ all attempts to bring the rival Commissioners
together in friendly intercourse were failures,
and from this and the other circumstances above narrated both General Goldsmid
and Colonel Pollock were forced to agree that “ all hopes of a fair inquiry were
vainthat “ the palpable and shameless attempts to stifle plain speech, to reject
“ honest evidence, and to get rid of obnoxious witnesses, had culminated into
“ unmistakeably offensive expressions in letters,” and made it evident therefore
that “ the sooner they moved away from Seistan the better.”
The Mission accordingly left Nasirabad on the 11th of March for Meshed
where they arrived on the 25th of April, and
^nS e A eral i^R 79 S Tn were gi ven a most honourable reception by
30th Apnl 1872, and 9«h May 1872. ^ Governor) Sultan Mur J jy^
who is described as a man of considerable ability and power.
In one of General Goldsmid’s conversations with the Persian Governor he
understood the Prince to say, in reference to the relations between the British
and Persian Governments, that he “ upheld the theory advocated by the Persian
“ Minister in London, that if England would support his nation by money as of
“ old, she would find in her a true and faithful ally in carrying out the protective
“ policy on behalf of India.” He admitted however that we should do well to