File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎24r] (52/566)

The multiplication of the Belgian will certainly be to our disadvantage and
to keep him out it will always be possible to argue that, as long as the Shaikh
pays his revenue and continues to administer his country satisfactorily, the Persian
Government can well turn its attention to parts of the country where such desi
rable results have not been attained, but sooner or later we shall be obliged to
consider the question which 1 am now putting up to you and I shall be glad to
get some instruction as to the general line I should take should the matter be
again raised.
Enclosure No. 3.
No. 136-C., dated Mohammerah, the 27th September 1913.
From— Major L. Haworth, His Britannic Majesty’s Consul for Arabistan,
To—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
With reference to the memorandum forwarded with my letter No. 11 i-C.,
dated 2nd August 1913, I have the honour to inform you that the Shaikh called
on me to-day and informed me that he had received a letter from Tehran saying
that gendermerie under Swedish officers were to be sent to Arabistan. The
letter was a private one but the Shaikh seemed to place reliance on it.
He said that he was not anxious to have gendermerie on his territories which
he could perfectly well keep in order himself and pointed out that they could be
much better employed in places such as Luristan, where order did not exist.
I have anticipated that gendermerie would be sent to Arabistan, and pre
sumably their headquarters would be at Shushtar.
Should there be truth in the report I trust that we shall be able to bring
pressure to bear for their use at Dizful or nothwards of that town thus freeing the
Shaikh and his territories of their presence.
They are not required south of Shushtar while north of that place and especi
ally at Dizful and in Luristan they would find much scope for their activities.
The Shaikh also referred to the fact that his friendship with us was well
received by those of the powers that be at Tehran who w\ere friendly to him but
that it was the source of remark to those who were opposed to him and to us.
He feared that some of them, in consequence, wished, if possible, to encroach
upon his privileges.
I should like to take the opportunity to reiterate the opinion which I have
expressed that we should inform the Persian Government of our special relations
with the Shaikh, otherwise I feel assured that we shall have to do it at a time
when, the Persian Government having taken some step to encroach on the bhaikh s
rights, we shall have to do so under the assurances which we have given him.
Such a moment may well be awkward, especially if it is in connection with
questions in which either Swedes or Belgians are concerned.
C101FD—44—29-1 1 * 13 —GCBP Simla