'File No. II/12 Foreign Dept Memoranda of Information re: affairs in Persia and Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf. Jan '09 --' [‎16r] (31/178)

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Mpmorandti'n of information received during
the month of February 1909, relating to
affaire in Persia, and the Arabian shore
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
1. {Vide paragraph 2 of Memorandum
for January 1909 .)
The situatioa in Persia. ^ ^
political situation appears to be increasing and
the chances of a reconciliation between the
Shah and his people are becoming less probable.
The eiforts of the British and Russian repre
sentatives to obtain the restoration of a consti
tutional regime have so far been unavailing.
The Nationalist party have been disturbed by
rumours of the intended imposition of Anglo-
Russian control which have arisen from specu
lation as to the progress of the pour par ers
between England and Russia with regard to
Persia.
On the 17th January, Sir A. Nieolson
forwarded to His Majesty’s Government a copy
of a Memorandum received from M. Isvolsky
in regard to Persia. The Russian proposals are
summarised as follovvs :—
(1) To recommend to the Shah in a
friendly manner, without in the least depart
ing from the principle of non-intervention
in Persian internal affairs, that he should
summon to his councils, capable and energetic
men, who have in the past given proof of
their desire to extricate Persia from the dithcult
position in which she is placed, and specially
to mention Nasr-ul-Mulk and Saad-ed-Howleh.
(2) To tell the Shah of the desire to see a
representative Government established in the
country, the necessity of which has been re
cognised by him, and, without insisting on the
re-establishment of the form in which that
Government existed in 1907-08, to advise His
Majesty to proceed, without delay, with the
help of those above-mentioned and of other men
of merit, to elaborate a law instituting a new
legislative body which will be in accordance
with the usages and historical customs of the
people of Persia as well as with their religious
ideas, and which will satisfy its needs and
contribute to the establishment of peace and
order in the country.
(3) If the Shah gives sufficient proofs
of his decision to follow Russian and British
advice, to help him in contracting an external
loan, more or less considerable, conditional on
the institution of a Special Commission made