File 1421/1908 Pt 4 'Persia: oil; Anglo-Persian Oil Co and Bakhtiaris' [‎117r] (91/292)

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
I’KIISIA.
CONFIDENTIAL
9JUL1911
[May 8 .]
Sbction 10.
17222]
No. 1.
Sir G.Barclay to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received May 8 .)
^No. 62.) Tehran, April 9ft, 1911.
Slr ’ WITH reference to mv despatch No. 57 of the 19th April respecting the establish
ment of an unpaid British vice-consulate at Kasr-i-Shinn, I have the honour to
ransrnh herewhh copy of a despatch from His Majesty’s consul at Kermanshah
forecasting probable difficulties in the way of the oil company s resumption of worh
011 th i e Silso rSd ^teSm from Mr. Consul McDouall, stating in repl^ to my
enauiries that lie considered that the appointment of a vice-consul at Ivasi-i-bhi
would be advisable, but that there was no suitable person available on the spot, ai
that naturally no one could be sent to occupy an unpaid post.
Mr Greenway had suggested to me that Mr. Soane, who represents the oil compam
1 -KW i Shirin should himself be appointed unpaid vice-consul, and that his prev ous
mifcrnduft rS (see my telegSm No. 882 " of the 17th November, 1908) might
"°" Afte^furthe^enquiry, however, I am of opinion that Mr. Soane’s past character
renders it difficult for me to recommend him for an official post and I also thin , m
view of Mr McDouall’s statement in the last paragraph of his despatch lSo. 31 to
effect that the Persian Government have no authority whatever m the district, it would
bfunwfse to institute a British consular officer at Kasr-i-Shinn unless he were
protected by a strong escort. j have ^ &c
n td A T)A V
Enclosure in No. 1.
Consul McDouall to Sir G. Barclay.
No. 31.) Kcrmanshah, April 11, 1911.
' n ’ T HAVE the honour to inform you that Mr. Soane, representing the Angh>Persian
Oil Company, arrived at the wells at Chia Surkh on the 26th March and proceeded to
mhcTlaW. Next day no one would come to work, and said that Karim Khan had
threatened to kill anyone who worked for the company. Mr. Soane asks me to not.
thL,tr mention it to y-ou, as there will probably be more -^XZnnZ’s lations
It therefore appears advisable to give the particulars of the company lelation.
with Karim Khan from correspondence in the consular archives. n .
'in July 1905 the company left off work at Chia Surkh, and there
materials and tools while work was being carried on in Arabistan. rhey at t a
made 'an agreement with Karim Khan, Shuja-es-Sultan, the local bajlan chief, by which
he undertook to provide guards for the workshops and X 1 Xfoht'te b fe P cL“od) of
80 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , and, further, he undertook to accept responsibility for the sate c sto y
the comuanv’s property, and to pay the annual tax of -00 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. to tnere ,
Government 5 and in return he was allowed to collect for his personal use all the oil
comiiig out of wells Nos. 1 and 2. This agreement to be terminated by the
recommencement of work by the company. time collected and
In accordance with this agreement Karim Khan has from that time collectea ana
sold all the oil and salt from the wells, which is said to bring him in about 200 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
per mensem. The town of Qasr and surrounding villages are entirely supplied horn
thpqp wells with oil wliicli Karim Khan distills for sale. •
these wells with oih now propose to make a short pipe-line from Chia
Surkh to Qasr-i-Shirin, and reii.te the oil there for local sale and transport to Kerman-
shah and neighbourhood. meatls a great loss to Karim Khan, and he may be
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