'File No. II/12 Foreign Dept Memoranda of Information re: affairs in Persia and Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf. Jan '09 --' [‎75r] (149/178)

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action taken by the Political Officers and
their views that the situation at Kerman
had improved and quiet had been restored, and
there was therefore no immediate necessity to
send reinforcements. In the event of any
future emergency requiring the despatch of
troops to protect Kerman, not less than one
regiment should be sent to Bunder Abbas. The
withdrawal of the Consul and the European
community to Bunder Abbas, Birjand or Yezd
would be impracticable in any case.
2. Mr. Bill reported on the 1st of July
that Nasser-ed- Dowleh,
the younger Kavami
brother, had been
appointed Russian
Shiraz. He strongly
Appointment of
Nsssor-ed-Dowleh as
Russian Consular Agent
at Shiraz.
Consular Agent at
deprecated this action on the part of Russian
authorities and described it as an important
move towards the establishment of predomi
nance of Russian influence in the neutral
zone. The nominee owned large estates in the
province, and thus very important and large
interests would come under Russian influence
and protection. Sir G. Barclay interviewed
M. Sabline and deplored the action. He
expressed his surprise that neither the British
Consul at Shiraz nor he himself should have
been informed of the matter, while the action
had been in contemplation for some six
months. Sir G. Barclay was of opinion that
his Russian colleague had not apparently
realized the gravity of the action before repre
sentation was made to him, but promised to
give full consideration to the matter.
On the 7th July, Mr. Bill reported that
Kavam-ul-Mulk, the elder brother of Nasser-
ed-Dowleh, had applied for British protection.
Sir G. Barclay considered this bid for British
and Russian protection as deplorable, and
instructed Mr. Bill to refuse the application.
A reference was made to the Russian
Government on the subject, and the Minister
for Eoreign Affairs sent instructions to M.
Sabline to examine carefully the question of
the appointment in conjunction with his
British colleague. Sir G. Barclay reported
on the 7th July that he and M. Sabline were
agreed that the two Kavami brothers should
be removed from Shiraz, and that they would
press for this as soon as there was a less demor
alized Government in Persia.
3. { Vide 'paragraph 2 of the Memo*
The zil-os-Sultan. rmnlumfor June 1909.)
It was found desirable
that the Zil-es-Sultan, who was reported to be
on his way back to Persia, should be dissuaded
from returning, till the crisis was over in the
country and favourable conditions prevailed.
The Russian Government desired that the
British Representative at Vienna should join
his Russian eolieugue in urging the desirability