'Quarantine control in the Persian Gulf' [‎9r] (5/6)

5
or were no ^ acting- in accordance with them. On the
^lat May-'- he added that, should the promised instructions not be given, and
this lead to inefficiency this- summer, there would then be a strong case for
submission of the question to the International Sanitary Council, that the
Anglo-1 ei Sian Oil Company had offered for one year to pay Dr. Lincoln an
additional sum equal to what he would lose as quarantine officer on the
understanding that his Persian successor would be bound to co-operate in all
quarantine matters with the Company’s medical officer, that, thanks to their
helptui attitude, no difficulty need therefore be anticipated at Mohammerah,
and that it was k) be hoped that the British quarantine medical officer at
Bushire, by maintaining tactful relations with the Persian doctor there,
would m fact be able to see the quarantine service satisfactorily maintained.
lo. In the light of the developments set out above, the -Foreign Office on
the 11th June, officially asked the concurrence of the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. in the
acceptance of the Minister’s recommendations, forwarding at the same time
a despatch from the Ministerj" in which Sir Robert Clive pointed out that
leisia was entiiety within her sovereign rights in sending her own doctors
to the Gulf, that she was under no contract to the Government of India to
maintain a Bntish-controlled quarantine service, that she was not bound by
any promise made at the last International Quarantine Conference not to do
what she had clone, and that, in the circumstances, the only possible policy
was to minimise as far as possible any ill effects on our prestige in the Gulf
"by the I eisian action, and to endeavour to induce the Persians to continue
to avail themselves of the wide experience and knowledge of the British
quarantine officers, with a view to maintaining an efficient quarantine
service.
14. At this stage the matter rested until July 1928, action being-
postponed by the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. pending a decision on the proposal to set up
a Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence on the position
of His Majesty’s Government in the Gulf generally, and the subjects to be
considered by that Sub-Committee.
lo. On 13th July, however, the Charge d’Affaires at TeheranJ reported
that the Minister of Court had spoken to him with unusual vehemence on
the quarantine question, stating that Persia must be allowed to take over at
all costs and even hinting at the use of force. It transpired that the Persian
attitude was to some extent due to the fact that Dr. Lincoln, the British
quarantine officer at Mohammerah, had not yet been authorised by the chief
quarantine medical officer, acting under the orders of the Government of
India, to hand over control of his Persian successor and that effect had thus
not yet been given to the arrangement agreed in May between the Minister
of Court and Sir R. Clive.
16. On 18th July the foreign Office wrote to the India Office§ urging
their concurrence in regularisation of the position at an early date on the lines
referred to in para. 12 above, and expressing the view that the delay which
had taken place in giving effect to the arrangements made in May with the
Minister of Court was regrettable. On the same date the Government of
India telegraphed that three Persian doctors had arrived in Bushire, one to
take over the quarantine at Bushire, one for duty at Lingah, while the
third expected early orders for Jask and a fourth was reported to be
proceeding to Bunder Abbas. The Government of India, while strongly
reiterating their previous protests against the relinquishment of control by
His Majesty’s Government, stated that they were ready to issue immediate
instructions for the handing over of charge to the Persian doctors should
His Majesty’s Government consider that this was necessitated by the
discussions which had taken place at Teheran, or by consideration of the
wider interests involved. The Indian officers would be instructed to afford
all possible assistance to their successors. The Government of India added
that the Charge d’Affaires would no doubt be able to arrange that the latter
should be instructed to act in close consultation with the outgoing officers,
who could be retained for say six months to see that the quarantine
regulations w r ere properly carried out and to give the new regime a fair start.
2979a b
* Teh. tel. 186,
P. 2660; Teh. Desp.
251, May 21 1928,
P. :i018.
P. 3018/28.
+ Xo. 251, May 21
1928.
X Teh. tel. 223,
July 13 1928,
P. 3647/28.
Teh. tel. to F.O. 227,
July 14 1928,
P. 3665/28.
§ P. 3755.