Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎7r] (13/644)

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58. In consequence, the Netherlands Government approached His Majesty s
Government in the United Kingdom with a request that the latter would use their
good offices to assist the K.L.M. to obtain permission to follow the Arabian shore
route. It was indicated, in reply, that the K.L.M. could not use Shargah in
present circumstances, but that His Majesty’s Government would be prepared to
approach the Sheikh of Bahrein and the Sultan of Muscat for the formal
permission necessary to enable the Netherlands company to fly via Bahrein and
Aadur. (They had hitherto been using the latter on the Persian route without
such formal permission.)
>
59. Meanwhile the K.L.M. aircraft are continuing to follow the Persian
route, but one or two disconcerting incidents have occurred when aircraft have
been detained because the necessary permission has not come through from
Tehran. The French and Dutch lines are combining to acquire wireless apparatus
to replace that removed by the Air Ministry on the transfer of Imperial Airways.
Japan.
60. On the 18th October a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation was signed
at Tehran. The details of this treaty are not yet available, but it is believed to be
quite commonplace.
61. The signature of this treaty w T as the last act of the Japanese Minister,
Mr. Kasama, who left immediately afterwards to take up his new post as Minister
at Lisbon. Mr. Kasama was hardly troubled during his tenure of the post at
Tehran with the protection of Japanese nationals, though the non-official colony
was increased by two representatives of the Japanese Opium Monopoly during
the year, but he performed valuable work for his country by increasing Japanese
trade with Persia to an amazing degree, mainly at the expense of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics.
62. The Kazeruni case, of which mention was made in paragraph 73 of the
1931 report, dragged on inconclusively throughout the year.
Belgium.
63. In October M. Cuvelier, the Belgian Minister, left Tehran to take up
his new appointment at Sofia. His successor, M. Paternotte de la Vaillee,
presented his letters on the 27th November.
64. A Belgian group have for some months been negotiating for a contract
for a central electric power plant in Tehran, and also for a light railway which
is to facilitate the transport of coal from the Shimshak mines to Tehran.
Although the Persian Government showed a most reasonable spirit in the
negotiations, the new Minister felt doubtful of the ultimate success of the project,
especially after the example of the cancellation of the Anglo-Persian Oil
Company concession, and at one time he openly expressed the hope that Belgian
money would not be adventured in a country the Government of which had no
regard for the sanctity of contracts. The agreement was not signed until after
the end of the year.
Greece.
65. The protection of Greek interests continued during 1932 to give no little
trouble to His Majesty’s Legation and consular officers.
66. The case of M. Dracos Pilides, the origins of which were explained in
paragraph 81 of the annual report for 1931, dragged on fruitlessly throughout
the year, the Legation being unable, in spite of great persistence, to obtain any
satisfaction from the Persian Government. It soon became apparent that
M. Pilides’s case had from a legal point of view been seriously prejudiced by the
action of the assessors appointed by him to estimate the value of the cocoon-drying
shed in concert with representatives of the municipality. These assessois, it is
alleged, under threats from the police, gave the value as 300 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , and signed
a statement to this eflect. It is thus evident that M. Pilides s chances of obtaining
the 4,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. claimed by him as compensation are slight indeed. At the end
of the year His Majesty’s Legation were still waiting to learn the wishes of the
Greek Government in the matter.