File 1356/1912 Pt 1 'Turco-Persian Frontier:- negotiations at Constantinople.' [‎15r] (38/885)

That the remainder belongs to the Turkish Empire will be proved in the
discussions with the Persian Delegates, and, if necessary, at the Court of The
Hague, by the provisions of treaties and by other valid proofs. But in order to
derive full advantage from the records and evidence now available, and in order
to explain exactly the line of the frontier, a complete map is required showing
the places entered in the records (of the Daftarkhana). No such exists in the
Department of the General Staff of the Army or the Diwan-i-Humayun (? Archives
Office) ; nor has one of the sort ever been published in Europe.
Consequently it is most necessary, first of all, to indicate the places in a
map. As a means to this and booklets containing the names found in the
Khaqani (Land Records office) archives have been printed, and the requisite
printed sketch maps have been attached to the said booklets, and empty columns
for remarks have been provided in the booklets for the purpose of entering
opposite to the name of each place any information relating to it.
These booklets and sketch-maps should be sent to the Civil officials of the
Wilayats of Erzroum, Van, Musal, Baghdad and Basrah through the Ministry of
the Interior; and to the Military officers in the neighbourhood of the frontier
through the Ministry of War; and to the Ottoman Consuls in Persia and in the
vicinity of the frontier through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The said officials and officers should be instructed to make the necessary
investigation and enquiries as soon as possible, in accordance with the instruc
tions* attached to the said booklets. The
* A translation of the instructions is attached. j^ na | resu i ts should be very clearly entered
in the column of remarks opposite to each
name; and the precise situation of each place should be marked in the sketch-
map with the best possible approximation; and finally the said booklets and
sketch-maps should be forwarded through the Ministries mentioned to the Com
mission, for examination.
But, as the investigations to be made by the Civil and Military officials
separately cannot be extended beyond the places where they are posted, and as
those places which require investigation and examination most of all are places
now wrongly in the hands of the Persians, some officers of the General Staff of
the Army who are employed as Military officers at military stations in the region
in Question and who have sufficient local information about the region, and who are
fiUor the work should be sent to the Ottoman Consulates which a.e directed to
take action under pretext of examining the accounts and . 0 ^ h c e er S s al c d 0 . 0 e !
dulates or on some other excuse, and that in civil dress. If these otticers co ope
rate with the Consuls it will expedite and facilitate the investigations and
examinations, and the situations of the places named, which are to be shown m
the sketch-maps, will be fixed with greater exactness.
It is necessary that these officers of the General Staff of the Army should
Affairs by correspondence.
ArwW nnint- is that as the discussion with the Persian Delegates
will assuredly begin at the Basra j 1 -B a g hdad t ^
fi^'nTouldTfgo g od rhin P g a to appoint and send ‘VeVm'
whc^has “eetLtodate^withthe Commissioj" who hacked at these subjects
Tor a long time, and who possesses sufficient local knowledge.
Of the printed booklets and sketch-maps .o copies
Minister for Foreign Affairs to be or war e Walls of Basrah, Baghdad.
the Minister of the Interior to bn forwarded to t ” ^ Kirkuk, Sulaimani-
Musal, Van and Erzroum and to the ^tasarrifs o^^Amara^K ^ ^
K& iSifi. ESfcEfSU k™ a-*- <* s™ “ d