'Quarantine control in the Persian Gulf' [‎8v] (4/6)

4
* Teh. tel. 161,
May 10 1928,
P. 2399/28.
Teh. Desp. 251,
May 21 1928,
P. 3018/28.
+ Teh. tel. 181,
May 17 1928,
P. 2543.
\
,1 f ~-roT^rr-TArl tn 1 ip nn liis wav to Mohammerah to relieve Assistant-
Surgeon Lincoln as quarantine officer: This doctor had apparently left uta
Bn shire on the 5th Mav. On representations being made to the Minister
ConrJ stressing the extreme lack of courtesy to the Government of India
and to the Vice-Consul at Mohammerah (who is also the quaiantme olhcei, n
despatching a Persian doctor without any notification to them, levmouitache
promised that instructions should be given that the I ersian doctoi should
not at once require Dr. Lincoln to evacuate his house, and that he uould
consider the sending of an official letter expressing thanks for the services-
in the past of Indian medical officers m the Gulf and not Hying the changed
. situation which had arisen from the refusal of the Majlis to vote money for
foreign doctors, and the consequent decision of the 1 ersian Go\einmcnt
appoint Persian doctors. The Minister added that the Persian doctor had
categorical instructions to work in co-operation with the Angio-1 ersian Oil
ConTpanv* On 4th May Sir R. Clive wrote to leymourtache, forwarding a
memorandum on the question and stating that he had telegraphed to Bushire,
proposing that the necessary instructions should be sent to Dr. Lincoln to
collaborate with the Persian doctor despatched to Mohammerah by the
fVntra 1 Govern ment.
11. The Government of India, in their telegrams of 13th May, No. 976-S
(P. 2403), and 21st May, No. 1030-S, protested vigorously against the action
of the Persian Government as being objectionable not only as likely to lead
to quarantine inefficiency (responsibility for which, under the resolutions of
the International Sanitary Conference of 1926, definitely rested with India),
but as another deliberate blow at British prestige in South Persia and the
Gulf. They suggested that strong representations, accompanied by a threat
to dismantle the Duzdap Railway, should be made to the Persian Govern
ment, and (on the assumption that finance was one of the chief difficulties),
separately offered, in view of the interest of India m the question, to finance
the quarantine themselves for, say, six months, to enable Persia to secure the
foreign medical expert for whose recruitment as technical Counsellor to the
National Health Department, the Majlis had given authority on the 29th April,
and to provide for the satisfactory transfer of quarantine aiiangements from
the Indian to the Persian medical officers. They suggested, too, that the
Persian medical officer during the transitional period might usefully be
attached to the Indian doctor to learn his work.
12. Meanwhile, however, Sir Robert Clive had reported' that the Minister
of Court had definitely agreed to send an official Note on the lines referred to
in para. 10 above, and to give definite instructions to the Persian doctors
at Bushire and Mohammerah to consult and profit by the experience of the
English quarantine doctors, in case the latter remained, and that Teymour-
tache had added that he had already taken steps to prevent the status quo in
the Gulf being upset, but that this question of doctors depended on the
recent vote of the Majlis, and had nothing to do with his promise.t In a
despatch dated the 4th May, No. 206, Sir IL Clive further stated that it was
perfectly clear that the Persians had made up their minds to terminate the
employment of the British quarantine officers. _ “ Teymourtache stated
emphatically that this was not part of an anti-British policy^ The Persian
Government had no intention or desire to contravene our rights, but, as I
w-as aware, it was now the established policy of the Persian Government not
to engage in their service citizens of limitrophe countries. No foreigner
could now be engaged in any capacity by the Persian Government without
his contract first being approved by the Majlis. Although he personally
recognised the good work done by British quarantine doctors in the past, it
would be useless to submit to the Majlis contracts for the-future employment
of British doctors, as the Majlis would never approve such contracts.”
Sir Robert Clive, in the despatch in question, had recommended that
His Majesty’s Government should acquiesce, in the circumstances, in the
Persian assurance that Persian quarantine doctors at Abadan and Moham
merah would have standing instructions to work in co-operation with the
Anglo-Persian Oil Company’s medical officer, and that the matter should
immediately be taken up with the Minister of Court, should the Company
have reason later to believe that the Persian doctors there had not received