'Persia. No 1 (1909). Correspondence respecting the affairs of Persia, December 1906 to November 1908' [‎105r] (193/236)

Inclosure in No. 225.
Mr. Marling to Ala-es-Sultaneh.
Tour Highness, Gulahek, July 25, 1908.
BY his note of the 31st August, 1907, His Majesty’s Minister had the honour to
inform your Highness of the terms on which His Britannic Majesty’s Government
was prepared to assent to the request of the Persian Government for the suspension for
three years of the sinking fund on the Loan of 1903-1. To this note no reply was
made, but no payment on capital account was made, and the interest was, moreover,
allowed to fall into arrears. His Majesty’s Government considered that they were in
the circumstances justified in assuming that the terms above alluded to were tacitly
accepted by the Persian Government, and I was accordingly instructed to inform your
Highness’ predecessor of that view. In reply to my note of the 21th Pebruary, in
which I carried out those intructions, his Excellency Mushir-ed-Dowleh informed me
that a reply to Sir Cecil Spring-Bice’s note would be sent me shortly. Although five
months have elapsed, I have, however, received no answer; and I have now received
the instructions of His Majesty’s Permanent Secretary of State for Poreign Affairs to
inform your Highness that, in the absence of the promised reply, and in view of the
fact that the interest on the loan is again in arrears, and that no payment has been
made on account of the sinking fund since the 4th April, 1906, His Majesty’s
Government can no longer admit of any discussion of the terms laid down in Sir Cecil
Spring-Bice’s note above mentioned.
I avail, &c.
(Signed) CHABLES M. MABLING.
No. 226.
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey.—{Received August 31.)
Sir^ Gulahek, August 12, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith the usual monthly summary of events
in Persia during the past four weeks.
I have, &c.
(Signed) CHABLES M. MABLING.
Inclosure in No. 226.
Monthly Summary of Events in Persia.
The General Situation.
THE Shah remains at Bagh-i-Shah, where preparations are being made for a
long stay. Amir Behadur Jang, who has received the title of Sepah-Salar and post of
War Minister, seems to he all-powerful.
Although the popular movement has, to all intents and purposes, been successfully
crushed since the 23rd June, and the only effective resistance has been that offered by
the people of Tabreez, who are still fighting, there are ample indications of future
trouble in the form of a recrudescence of the movement. The clergy of Nejef have
pronounced themselves against the Shah, and though their telegrams have been
suppressed the news is generally known. The effect of the news from Turkey has not
been very great, and will probably only react later. In the meantime the Shah appears
to be in great financial difficulties, and M. Bizot is at present engaged in preparing a
scheme by which something might be done to improve the situation. The extraordinary
military preparations at Bagh-i-Shah and the dispatch of troops to Azerbaijan have
contributed to deplete the Treasury.
(Signed) G. P. CHUBCHILL,
Oriental Secretary.