'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎22v] (49/143)

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longer, unless he could be assured that the British Government would give
him effective support in resisting the Nationalists and would undertake to
indemnify him against the subsequent consequences of his so doing. He
added that he must take some course which would save his face with both
parties. Major Cox replied that he had no power to give any guarantee in
the direction desired.
The Shaikh went on to explain that if the Customs receipts continued to
be forwarded to Tehran, Nationalist resentment would be unrestrainable : that
he, as head of the Mohammerah Customs, would be made responsible for the
receipts, and that if the British were unable to intervene and refused him
definite advice, he would have to be guided by his own judgment and would
ask the Belgian Director to retain the receipts in the Custom-house premises
until the situation had cleared somewhat.
Before these representations had reached the Foreign Office, Sir George
Barclay had received instructions to dissuade the Shaikh, should it be neces
sary, from following the example of the Persian Nationalists at Bushire and
Bandar Abbas, and seizing the Customs : in communicating these orders to
Major Cox, Sir George Barclay informed him that the Shaikh’s proposed
action in regard to the Customs appeared to be unobjectionable. Major Cox
therefore addressed the following letter to the Shaikh on April 6th :—
* * * I learn that Your Excellency has ordered that until further notice, the
proceeds from the Mohammerah Customs receipts are not to be sent forward
to Tehran but are to be retained at Mohammerah. Hearing this news I think
it is advisable to inform Your Excellency in the clearest manner possible that
the Customs Revenues of the Gulf Ports including Mohammerah are pledged
to the British Government as security for loans granted by the British Govern
ment to the Persian Government. This matter is well known and beyond dis
pute, and I trust that I shall receive from Your Excellency at an early date
an assurance that in the matter of the Customs receipts the claims and interests
of His Majesty’s Government will be strictly safeguarded by His Excellency.
In March 1909, on hearing that Monsieur Zwinne was to replace Monsieur
Leleux as provincial Director of Customs at Mohammerah, Major Cox asked
His Majesty’s Minister to cause Monsieur Zwinne to be warned to pursue a
more conciliatory policy than Monsieur Leleux. 1
Sir George Barclay in reply promised to address the Administrator as
suggested but said he understood that the Shaikh’s attitude in regard to
smuggling gave Monsieur Leleux genuine cause to be aggrieved. He asked
Mr. McDouall to bring to his notice the next specific case which came to his
knowledge where the Shaikh had ground for any complaint against the
Customs.
In reply to this telegram Colonel Cox, whilst promising to talk to the
Shaikh on the subject of smuggling pointed out that Shaikh Khazal in 1908
had maintained that Monsieur Leleux was entirely to blame for the increase
of smuggling saying that “ he could not be expected to suppress smuggling
if the Belgians appointed persons without consulting him as required by his
farman.”
On 16th July 1909, with reference to the coup d’etat in Tehran resulting
in the deposition of Mohamed ’Ali Shah by the Nationalist troops, Major Cox
addressed a further communication to the Shaikh on the subject as follows :—
I have the honour to refer you to my letter of April last regarding the necessity
for your keeping the Customs revenues under complete control. Since then
the state of Persia has again been disturbed. The authorities of the British
Government like Your Excellency are hopeful that the Constitutional regime
v ill eventually be firmly established, but in the meantime it is necessary for
me to remind you that the Customs in your district are included in the Customs
vhich, on account of the loan that has been advanced to the Persian Govern-
ment, are pledged to the British Government, and if your Customs revenues
should be expended in a way that may be prejudicial to our claims on them,
x our Excellency will incur responsibility to the above Government.
A . , In March 1911, the Shaikh telegraphed to Tehran that if, as he heard, M. Zwinne waste return t(
transf^oatother post^ t0 ^ &S Dlrector > and eve ntually, on his arrival, did so, and secured hii
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