File 1421/1908 Pt 3 'Persia: oil; negotiations between the Shaikh of Mohammerah and the Anglo-Persian Oil Co.' [‎268v] (102/338)

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its grant with any chance of success he did not so call upon it, and it may
consequently, when the time comes, seek to evade our claim on the plea that the
concessionnaire did not give it an opportunity of making good its pledge in this
But the distressing circumstances in which the concessionnaire stood when th./^
Bakhtiaris held him up no longer exist. So far as it is humanly possible to judge,
prior to removing oil from the oil-fields in the Bakhtian country, we have a supply
there sufficient for the need of any piping and refining installations that we can put for
several years to come, and we have no desire to pay (or risk paying) twice over for any
more oil now. . . , , . i . i .
Presuming that we can reckon on your support in regard to our undoubted rights,
what we want in regard to oil in territories other than Bakhtiari territory is to say in
the most friendly way to the land-owners, “ Are you willing to give us land on the
terms described in paragraph 2, article 3 of our concession ?
If they s&y “Yes,” cadit qucestio. .
If they say, “No; we want x because of the oil,” or “x of or on the oil, or
“ x of the oil profits,” then we can go to the Persian Government and request them
either to make good their grant, or, what is better, consent to the surcharge demanded
by the land-owners (adjudicated upon, perhaps, by officers of the British Government
in Persia) being deducted from the 16 per cent, share of profits which we are to pay
under the concession. „ . ,.
Mv directors feel confident that none of the officers of the British Government is
inclined to suggest that we should pay for the oil twice over. 1 he only reason for
urgency in the matter is that we have sent some drilling plant to Ahwaz, and we do
not want it to be idle for any length of time. Otherwise the matter could he over till
I get out to Mohammerah, where it has been decided that I must go to settle many
questions that have cropped up, and to put our whole organisation at the fields and in
Mohammerah on a more satisfactory basis. I feel confident that if 1 had had the
opportunity of discussing the matter verbally with His Britannic Majesty s consul at
Mohammerah and with the sheikh, neither difficulty nor misunderstanding would have
arisen But I cannot get out to Mohammerah until the middle of January, and I
would very much like to have at least the principle settled to your satisfaction before
I start. .
Yours sincerely,
n A V