Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎13r] (25/644)

23
[8706] c 4
the Persian Government to mentioning specifically the Slavery Convention of
1882 and the agreement of 1919. His Majesty’s Minister replied that he was
equally puzzled by the insistence of the Persian Government on so small a point,
but that he would go into the question further.
131. A second long discussion took place on the 16th February, the principal
feature of which was a suggestion from Teymourtache that His Majesty’s
"•^^overnment should voluntarily withdraw their request for a lease at Henjam,
a A course which would make it infinitely easier for the Persian Government to
meet them over Imperial Airways. He was told that this was the first time
during the negotiations that he had raised any objection to the general principle
of the grant of facilities at Henjam, and that his suggestion was sure to be
badly received by His Majesty’s Government. He did not, however, withdraw
it, explaining that the combination of Imperial Airways and tlenjam appeared
to Persian public opinion to give His Majesty’s Government a military position
in Persia very similar to their position in Iraq, and that, while he personally
thought this foolish so far as Imperial Airways was concerned, he fully shared
the national dislike to Henjam. In reply, His Majesty’s'Minister dwelt upon
the climatic advantages of Henjam, compared to other places in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
and made it clear that the British warships could not lose the recreational and
refuelling facilities which they had hitherto enjoyed there without grave
inconvenience. He also asserted that to deny the use of the coast route to
Imperial Airways, who could not, for practical reasons, use the route across the
plateau, would be mere unfriendliness. The only other subjects of importance
discussed at this meeting were the validity of the Perso-Iraq frontier as laid
down by the International Commission of 1914, and the Bushire Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. .
Teymourtache stated that the Persian Government were dissatisfied with the
frontier in the neighbourhood of Khanaqin, and enquired why the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. had
not already been removed from Bushire in accordance with the agreement reached
more than a year before. When His Majesty’s Minister explained that the
transfer was part and parcel of a general settlement, Teymourtache said he might
have misunderstood.
132. A third and a fourth meeting took place on the 18th and
22nd February respectively, at which the draft treaty was considered article by
article. Article 1 was accepted by Teymourtache so far as the paragraphs
providing for peace and friendship and for non-aggression were concerned; for
the third paragraph, extending the effects of the article to the rulers of the Arab
coast of the Gulf, he proposed the adoption of a formula describing these as the
Heads of States “ whose contractual relations with His Majesty’s Government
prevented them from alienating their territory to any other Power,” and the
relegation of their actual names to an exchange of notes, a procedure which
would, he said, reduce the danger of an awkward debate when the treaty was
submitted to the Majlis for ratification. Article 2, regarding diplomatic
relations, had already been agreed upon. For article 3 (Visits of Warships)
Teymourtache produced a draft after some discussion for an exchange of notes
to be attached to the article specifying the procedure to be observed for visits to
the ports of the other party. According to this procedure, a request for
authorisation had to be submitted through the diplomatic channel, but if no reply
had been received by the date of the projected visit it might be assumed that
it had been accorded tacitly. Article 3 bis (the Abrogation of Existing Treaties)
had been dealt with previously, and in view of the uncertainty about article 4
(Henjam) no attempt was made to discuss the dependent protocol. Article 5
(Basidu) was already agreed, but a better wording was devised for the second
paragraph about visits by British officials for the inspection of the cemetery.
Article 6 (Wireless Stations) was already agreed upon. The first paragraph of
article 7, providing for the recognition by the high contracting parties of the
independence of Bahrein, was already agreed upon. Teymourtache now accepted
subject to three minor changes, the wording proposed by His Majesty’s Govern
ment for the second paragraph, providing for the grant of most-favoured-nation
privileges to Persians in Bahrein and Bahreinis in Persia; he had previously
jibbed at making this paragraph reciprocal. Article 8 (Tamb, Abu Musa and
Sirri) was reserved for later discussion, while the subject of article 9^ Lighting
and Buoying, had ceased to be a treaty question. For article 10 (Slave Trade)
and the dependent protocol Teymourtache proposed simplified drafts, which