Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎171r] (341/644)

11
members of the dhow’s crew were wounded, one of them seriously. The launc
then came alongside and ordered the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. to proceed to Lmgah, but w en i was
noticed that she was registered at Koweit, the order was cancelled and her sapper
was told that he might proceed on his voyage.
44. His Majesty’s Legation referred the case to the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs as soon as the facts were known and asked that a most searching enquiry
might be made. Subsequently further particulars were obtained as to the identity
of the customs launch (whose captain had apparently not reported the incident
on arrival at Lingah) and these were communicated orally to the Ministry lor
Foreign Affairs, as the latter professed that great difficulties were being
experienced in identifying the launch concerned.
45. On the 22nd October an Omani dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. , bound from Khasab to Debai and
having two rifles on board, was seized by a customs launch about 4 miles oft
Hormuz Island. The crew were released, as was the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. , on the 30th October,
after being tried by martial law on a charge of carrying arms m Iranian
territorial waters, but the rifles were confiscated.
46 It was decided to take the case up semi-officially with the Ministry for
Foreio-n Affairs and to ask for the return of the rifles, since the men were obviously
not regarded as smugglers, and since, so far as His Majesty s Legation aere
aware the carriage of arms in transit through Iranian territorial waters was not
illegal The proposed approach to the Ministry was, however, delayed beyond
the°eud of the year, as His Majesty’s Legation were still awaiting particulars as
to the exact nationality of the men concerned.
(k) Muscati Passports.
47. During the course of the year a newly appointed member of the staff
of His Majesty’s consulate-general at Meshed brought with him a servant who
was the holder of a Muscati passport. The Iranian consul at Karachi gave the
latter a visa to enter Iran, though on a separate piece of paper and not on the
passport itself; but when application was made to the Meshed police for a
residence permit for him, they replied that, as the Iranian Government did not
officially recognise Muscat, a Muscati subject who wished to reside m this country
must take out an Iranian sijill.
48 The case was taken up semi-officially with the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs and it was pointed out to them that, though the Iranian Government did
not recognise Muscat, under Iranian law there was no objection to the entry ot
Muscati subjects into Iran. It therefore seemed somewhat absurd to try to force
them on arrival to become Iranian subjects. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs
rather surprisingly accepted this view without demur and agreed that Muscatis
who mioht come to this country must obviously be treated as foreigners. icy
accordingly approached the police, who similarly agreed, and the case ended with
the despatch of instructions to the Meshed police to grant the man a residence
permit.
(l) Cable and Wireless {Limited).
49 Early in the year His Majesty’s Legation received the equivalent of
£136 in repayment of certain customs duties and other charges wrongly levied
on Cable and Wireless (Limited), and in October the company eventually obtained
uavment of their long overdue account of £2,669 for repairs carried out to tie
Henjam-Bandar Abbas cable in 1932. It will be remembered that the company s
cable ship carried out free repairs to this cable m the autumn of 193o m return
for a promise by the Iranian Government to settle the 1932 account.
50 The company experienced a certain amount of trouble at Jask during
the course of ttesumme^ as the local customs office informed them that they
had no right to let one of their unwanted buildings to the Air France and h.L.M.
companies for the accommodation of their passengers and claimed a refund of the
renthitherto paid by them. The matter was taken up by II is Majesty s Legation
with the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, it being represented to him that the
company were only remaining at Jask in order to oblige the Iranian authorit ,
and that it was felt that they were entitled in equity to recoup some part of their
heavy expenditure in which they were thus involved by letting accommodation
[15259] B 6