Coll 17/15(2) 'Relations with Persia: Persia-Iraq frontier; Persia's claim in the Shatt-el-Arab' [‎469r] (946/1010)

3
ensure that the Basra Harbour Board would continue to function practically
unaffected, since incidents or modifications were happily likely to be few and far
between : alternatively, it might be possible to give Persia representation on the
Harbour Board as constituted to-day. But all these suggestions fell to the
ground because of the intransigence of Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . The latter was now going to
Bagdad, and he did not expect any settlement could be reached before he left, but
he trusted that when he came back, as he declared he would do, his attitude might
change.
9. I said that he must remember how the case arose. Iraq had been made a
member of the League some years ago. It was clear, therefore, at that time that
Iraq was accepted as having defined frontiers, and the frontier between Persia
and Iraq was that laid down by what we called “the existing instruments.”
Persia had violated that frontier. Iraq, therefore, seemed to me to be perfectly
entitled to turn to the League and say : ‘ ‘ The frontier which you recognised has
been violated. I must ask you to rectify the situation.”
10. Baron Aloisi did not contest this point of view, but he remarked that,
as I knew well, the League’s means were limited, and article 11 implied
conciliation and negotiation. Tm ahy~case, he still felt that Persia was entitled
to some participation in the administration of the navigation of the river. I
continued that, if Persia refused to acknowledge the frontier (Baron Aloisi here
interrupted to say that he believed that Persia would be perfectly willing to
withdraw her posts north of the river to the 1914 line), Iraq would have the
undoubted right to appeal to article 15, but, of course, this would be a serious
matter. Baron Aloisi said he agreed that we ought to do all we could to prevent
such an appeal, with all its political consequences. At any rate, he would beg
me to see whether I could not do something to induce Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. to be more
moderate when he returned to Rome. Of course, he was not in any way
dependent on the agreement of Nuri to his own proposals. He might, indeed, be ^
compelled to set out to the Council what had happened, explaining his suggestions
and adding that they had all been summarily rejected by the Iraqi representative.
He did not naturally wish to adopt such a course and hoped to avoid it if Nuri,
on his return, would show less intransigence.
11. During my discussion with Baron Aloisi on the subject of the treaty,
I stated that it was not really fair to ask Iraq to agree to the question of the
sovereignty over the river remaining in abeyance indefinitely, that the matter
ought to be solved within a reasonable time. If I remembered rightly, even the
Barcelona Convention spoke of a state of emergency which gave the owner of a
river rights to certain definite and exceptional action. Baron Aloisi, whom
fear rather hopes that the plan he has put forward for provisional administration
will render any decision on the validity of the treaties unnecessary, sai a ,
while he acknowledged the force of my remarks, we must not thin m erms o
emergency, but rather in terms of peace. I replied that I was qui e prepare
to do this, but surely it was better to provide for all possible eventualities and not
to leave such an important decision until some crisis aiose. m w
12. I have since seen Mr. Edmonds and explained to him the views held by
Baron Aloisi regarding his chief’s so-called intransigence. r. •
me that, in fact, It the meeting yesterday, Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. found himself m a minority
of one and was attacked, not only by th ^ Pe f la “ f e / e S a ^ s ’
Italians and members of the League Secretariat, he lere ° , l- j
I see. however, from Sir Francis Humphrys’s telegram addressed to the Foreign
Office, No. 30, a copy of which reached me this morning, tha ‘; “ ATisfussing
instmetiorw are drafted in such a way as to give him no authonty for discuss g
any^change 8 iPthe existing arrangements before the settlement of the juridical
question. teleaTams U nder reference I have attempted to summarise the
position as I lee id and no useful purpose would appear to be served by a
reiteration of those views in this despatc . ^
ERIC DRUMMOND.
[340 m— 2 j
B
2