Coll 28/54 ‘Persia. Perso-Polish and Perso-Japanese Relations.’ [‎64r] (127/145)

[This Document is the Property of Hit Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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PERSIA. ' i L June 8 ’ 1927 J
, • rj "/
CONFIDENTIAL. . Section 5.
[E 2514/1343/34]
No. 1.
Sir R.Clive to Sir Austen Chamberlain.—(Received June 8.)
(No. 224.)
gj r Jr 01 Tehran, May 19, 1927.
’ WITH reference to my despatch No. 139 of the 24th March, I have the honour to
transmit to you herewith copies of the French texts of the Treaty of Friendship and
the Commercial Convention signed on the 19th March, 1927, between Persia and
Poland, which have been obtained from the Persian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
2. They can doubtless be regarded as the type of treaties which the Persian
Government will seek to make with the Powers whose treaties have recently been
denounced.
3. The Treaty of Friendship is based on complete equality and reciprocity.
Otherwise it appears to call for no special comment except that under article 4 Polish
consular representatives will presumably be debarred from the exemption from the
payment of customs dues, which the consuls of other nations at present enjoy.
1 4. In the Commercial Convention, it will be noted that, by article 4, Polish
citizens, like those of other nations, will enjoy the right to acquire and dispose of
houses and buildings in Persia for their habitation or for business purposes. The
clause in the treaty regarding the right to possess other real property is far from clear.
I understand, however, from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that this right does not,
in fact, accrue to Poles in Persia owing to an order made in the year 1305 a.h.
(1887-88), and communicated at the time to all foreign Legations, which has the force
of law, to'the effect that no foreigners had the right to acquire real property in Persia
(houses and buildings for habitation or business purposes being excepted). The
practical effect of the clause is therefore, I am informed, that, on condition of
reciprocity, Polish nationals would acquire this right were this law at any time
rescinded.
5. Article 7 of the Commercial Convention appears to define and extend the
right of restricting imports and exports reserved by Persia under article 3 of the
Anglo-Persian Convention of 1903. The phrase “a sauvegarder Factivite economi-
que de la nation,” in particular, seems capable of very wide interpretation.
6 Under article 6, it would presumably be possible for Poland to claim that the
1903 tariff, rather than the 1920 tariff, was applicable to their goods, since the former
is still applied to Russian goods; and as I understand the chief Polish article of export
to Persia is cotton goods, which pay twice as much under the 1920 as under the 1903
tariff, it would certainly pay them to do so. I will endeavour to obtain further
information on this point.
I have, &c.
R. H. CLIVE.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Traite d'Amitie entre VEmpire de Perse et la serenissime Republique de Pologne.
SA Majeste imperiale le Chahenchah de Perse, dune part, et le President de la
serenissime Republique de Pologne, d'autre part, inspires du desir de retablir les
liens de sincere amitie qui ont ton jours existe entre T Empire de Perse et la serenissime
Republique de Pologne dans le passe, et convaincus que la consolidation de ces rela
tions, fondees sur le principe de reciprocite et d egalite parfaite, contribuera a la
prosperite et au bien-etre de leurs nations respectives, sont tombes d'accord de con-
clure un Traite d'Amitie et ont a cet effet nomine pour leurs plenipotentiaires, savoir :
Sa Majeste imperiale le Chah : Ali Gholi Khan Ansari, Ministre des Affaires
etraii (r pres dG f^crsc ^
Le President de la serenissime Republique de Pologne : M. Stanislas Hempel,
Charge d’Affaires de la Republique de Pologne en Perse;
[156 h—5]
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