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File 2696/1914 Pt 1 'Tibet Convention Persia and Afghanistan Conversations with Russia' [217r] (307/334)
The record is made up of 1 item (166 folios). It was created in 2 May 1914-15 Jun 1918. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
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CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir G. Buchanan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received May 20, 11 a.m.)
St. Petersburgh, May 19, 1914.
(No. 117.) (May J9, 9 p.m.)
MY telegram No. 115
Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he was prepared to submit to the Emperor
proposal sanctioning Tripartite Convention provided that:—
1. Article 10 be deleted and replaced by article declaring English text
authoritative.
2. Article 6. His Majesty’s Government and Russian Government to engage by
an exchange of notes, to be published simultaneously with the convention, that they
will not ask for concessions for their respective subjects without previous mutual
understanding.
Russian Government will engage, in a secret note, not to ask for concessions for
Russian subjects, nor oppose any request for concessions in favour of British subjects
that may be addressed to them by His Majesty’s Government.
3. Article 8. His Majesty’s Government to engage by an exchange of notes, to be
published, that they will not put this article into force without previous agreement
with the Imperial Government.
Russian Government will engage, in a secret note, not to oppose our sending
commercial agent at Gyantse to Lhassa, whenever we think it necessary. It must be
clearly understood that agent must retain character of commercial, and not of a
political, agent.
Minister for Foreign Affairs added that, as it was necessary to have something that
would bear appearance of counter-concession on our part, he must ask us to address
note to the Russian Government to the following effect:—
“ His Majesty’s Govermnent engage not to support any demand on the part of
British subjects for irrigation works, railways, or any preferential rights for com
mercial or industrial enterprises in Northern Afghanistan.”
i
y c , 4 ^
His Excellency said that we were virtually tearing up Thibetan Agreement of
1907 and were giving Russia nothing in ? return, and the above proposals were his
last word. 5
I fear that it is impossible for me to obtain better terms, and it they are
unacceptable to His Majesty’s Government the only alternative is to find some counter
concession to offer to Russia outside Thibet.
It is most important that I should know their decision with the least possible
delay, as Minister for Foreign Affairs is leaving St. Petersburgh for several weeks next
Sunday or Monday, and he cannot telegraph proposed arrangement to the Emperor
until he knows whether His Majesty’s Government will accept it. If arrangement is
agreed to, notes to be exchanged can be signed by Assistant Minister for Foreign
Affairs, but it is no use my discussing any debatable points with him, as he will never
assume responsibility for any decision. ,
Minister for Foreign Affairs subsequently said that he must warn me that he
would have to address note asking us to recognise more fully Russia’s predominant
interests in Northern Persia so that we should not in future be always bringing
complaints about the doings of Russian consuls there. I said that we had always
recognised Russia’s predominant interests, but that we were bound to comp am i
Russian consuls acted in a manner contrary to principle of Ang o- ussian un ei
standing, namely, maintenance of Persian independence and integrity. as ec
whether this was a new condition that he-was submitting before consenting to om
[517 - 246 :
About this item
- Content
Part 1 relates to a proposed draft convention between Britain, China, and Thibet [Tibet] (completed in April 1914 and referred to in the correspondence as the Tripartite Convention) and its impact on parts of the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907.
The correspondence largely consists of copies of telegrams and letters from Sir George William Buchanan, Ambassador to St Petersburgh [Saint Petersburg], to Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, regarding the former's meetings with the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs [Sergei Dmitrievich Sazonov] during May 1914. This correspondence documents Buchanan's efforts to secure not only the assent of the Russian Government to proposals made in the draft convention, but also certain revisions to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907, including the abrogation of the self-denying engagements taken by the two governments in relation to Thibet, as recorded in article 4 of the Convention.
Part 1 of the volume also contains correspondence between the Government of India, 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. , and the Foreign Office, which discusses Russia's terms for agreeing to the Tripartite Convention (one of which being the deletion of article 10, on the grounds that, in the opinion of the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, it would make Britain 'the arbiter of Thibet's destinies').
Other matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:
- the drafting of a joint declaration, described as a potential pendant to the Tripartite Convention, whereby Russia would reaffirm its adherence to the principle that Afghanistan is outside the sphere of Russian political influence and Britain would agree not to support 'any applications by British subjects for irrigation works, railways, or preferential rights for commercial or industrial enterprises in Northern Afghanistan';
- the Chinese Government's refusal to sign the Tripartite Convention;
- the British Government's response to the Bolshevik Party's publication in November 1917 of secret diplomatic documents, some of which reveal the secret negotiations between Britain and Russia regarding Northern Afghanistan.
The principal correspondents are the following: the Ambassador to St Petersburgh [Saint Petersburg] (Sir George William Buchanan); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey, succeeded by Arthur James Balfour); officials of the Foreign Office; the Permanent Under-Secretary of State, 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. (Thomas William Holderness); the Secretary of State for India [Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, succeeded by Joseph Austen Chamberlain]; the Viceroy of India [Charles Hardinge, succeeded by Frederic John Napier Thesiger]; the Secretary to 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. 's Political and Secret Department (Sir Frederic Arthur Hirtzel, succeeded by John Evelyn Shuckburgh); the Press Bureau.
In addition to correspondence, part 1 includes a copy of the proposed Tripartite Convention, dated 27 April 1914. The French material in this part of the volume consists of several items of diplomatic correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 item (166 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the part.
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- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Title
- File 2696/1914 Pt 1 'Tibet Convention Persia and Afghanistan Conversations with Russia'
- Pages
- 64r:66v, 68r:69v, 71r:85v, 87r:89v, 96r:110v, 113r:127v, 130r:136v, 138r:179v, 181r:230v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
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