File 930/1912 'Mohammerah - Khoremabad Railway' [‎13r] (32/396)

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.
RUSSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA. \j
CONFIDENTIAL.
'V
[October 8.]
Section 2.
[41779]
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir G. Buchanan.
(No. 340. Very Confidential.)
gj r Foreign Office, October 8, 1912.
I TRANSMIT to your Excellency herewith a copy of a Cabinet paper containing
a record of my conversations with the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs at
Ralmoral Castle/ as also certain memoranda handed to me by his Excellency on that
° CCa i also enclose herewith five memoranda in reply to those of M. Sazonof, and I
have to request your Excellency to take an early opportunity of handing them to bis
Extra^ copies of these memoranda are also enclosed for the archives of His
Maiestv’s Embassy.
I am, &c.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Memoranda respecting Conversations at Balmoral between AT. Sazonof and
Sir Ediuard Grey.
( 1 .)
Afghanistan.
HIS Majesty’s Government recognise that there is force in the Imperial Govein-
ment’s representations as to the advantages that might follow from closer commercial
relations between the neighbouring countries of Asiatic Russia and Afghanistan, and
from their co-operation in works of a civilising character, such as irrigation a fd the
extirpation of the locust pest. They would, however, observe that, quite apart from
the personal attitude of the Ameer, public opinion in Afghanistan does not at present
appear to tolerate the idea of more intimate connection with countries beyond her
borders, and that His Majestv’s Government, although themselves m treaty relations
with the Ameer, suffer equally with the Russian Government from this state of
feeling. For example, no general access to Afghanistan is enjoyed by Bntis
^ The policy of non-interference with Afghanistan having been deliberately adopted
by this country, His Majesty’s Government would feel great difficulty m pressing the
Ameer to accord to Russian subjects facilities which they are prec uded from asking for
their own, and they do not think that any good result would follow from urging the
Ameer to give a general recognition of the terms of article 3 of the Anglo-Russian
invention h consulfc with the Government of India with a view to
representing to the Ameer that it would be wise of him to act in a neighbourly spirit in
such matters as would fall within the scope of that artic e. Afodmnkfan TTH
As regards the importation of arms and ammunition into Afghanistan, His
Majesty’s Government have been, and are, doing everything m their power at a
heavy cost to British and Indian revenues to proven arms going overland into
Afghanistan from the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for the use of Afghan tribesmen. Ibis traffic,
fhey would observe, is now centred in Muscat, where
been rendered imnossible owing to the claim made by the Fiench vroveinment, based
uZ fheTr treaTy P “ns with the Sultan, that the trade in arms and ammunition
should be free. The result has been seriously to prejudice the cause of ordei and good
* Cabinet paper.
[2675 h —2]
Memoranda communicated by M. Sazonof (printed separately).