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File 200/1928 Pt 10 'Persia: Anglo-Persian Relations. Treaty Negotiations' [‎388v] (777/868)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (432 folios). It was created in 24 Jan 1934-5 Aug 1936. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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unfriendliness which I have described above, by the paralysing fear which we
feel all around us, by the scandal of the detention of the Bakhtiari Khans for
the last four months, by the death in prison of the Minister of War, by the
suspicion of our policy which the Minister for Foreign Affairs admits but does
not attempt to justify. I fully realise that drastic action may lead to a definite
breach, but I do not feel sure that, as in the case of the "Anglo-Persian Oib-^
Company, it might not secure a treaty. I also feel that if the Shah is not checked
it is almost certain that he will go from bad to worse, that there will be no hope
of a peaceful succession and every prospect of chaos on his death, and that the
longer he lives more surely will he eliminate all courage and initiative among
his wretched people, and complete the economic ruin of the country.
26. In a word, I doubt both the wisdom and the possibility, in view of the
situation in the Gulf, of rubbing along as at present. Moreover, it is not
far-fetched to anticipate that a newspaper article or some other triviality may
at any moment spring another crisis on us. It is perhaps preferable to choose our
own time and the circumstances that suit us. There is also a moral to be drawn
from the rumour that Qawam-ul-Mulk was released because I demanded it with
a threat to bombard Bushire.
27. I have reserved to the end of this despatch the question of the effect on
the interests of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, the Imperial Bank of Persia
and British manufacturers which would be produced by a serious conflict with
the Persian Government. So far as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company is
concerned, it may be said with confidence that the firm is in a far stronger
position to resist attack to-day than it was before the new concession was signed.
I am, however, informed by Mr. Jacks that he has some reason to believe that
orders have recently been issued of a nature that indicates an intention to harass
the company in a number of ways; moreover, the attitude, indistinguishable from
blackmail, which the Shah is adopting on the subject of the price which the
company shall pay for his land in the neighbourhood of Kermanshah required
for the new pipe line affords definite evidence that he is not interpreting the new
concession in the spirit of article 21 : “ The contracting parties declare that they
base the performance of the present agreement on principles of mutual goodwill
and good faith.”
28. The Imperial Bank of Persia are, I am inclined to think, rather
favourably situated, in that the National Bank is now in the hands of Persians,
who, with rather unexpected modesty, do not claim to be experienced bankers.
29. Our other interests of a material nature consist chiefly in orders for
aeroplanes and machinery, which have recently been placed with British firms.
The Shah is essentially hard-headed, and so long as prices and quality are
satisfactory, I doubt whether anger with His Majesty’s Government would deter
him from dealing with British firms in matters which interest him very closely.
30. To sum up : I think there is no hope of obtaining a treaty on the lines
contemplated, unless the Shah is forced to believe that we are determined, treaty
or no treaty, to settle the Bahrein issue once and for all;
I feel that the Shah has ceased to be a paramount British interest, because
he has lost all measure and all sense of proportion, with the result that the country
is being bled white;
I see no certainty of avoiding a conflict occasioned either by the necessity of
protecting Arab interests against Persian encroachments or by the Shah’s hyper
sensitiveness, and therefore our interests and the ultimate interest of this country
may lie in choosing a suitable time and occasion for issuing an ultimatum whicli
appears to me to be justified by the strictest standard of ethics.
31. Any definite decision should, I suppose, wait until after the Shah’s
visit to Angora, as it is possible that even now contact with men who are not
afraid of him may lead him to see the error of his ways.
32. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India (No. 78) and to the hon. the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (No. 75).
I have, &c.
R. H. HOARE.

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Content

This volume contains correspondence regarding wide-ranging negotiations that took place between the Persian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Legation in Tehran, the aim of which was the agreement of a bilateral treaty between the British and Persian [Iranian] governments in order to resolve a number of outstanding issues including the status of Basidu.

In addition to correspondence, the volume contains the following documents:

  • 'Speech by His Imperial Majesty the Shah at the Majlis on the Day of its Reopening for the Tenth term, Khordad 5, 1314 June 6,1935); (folio 34)
  • 'Memorandum by Mr. Eden upon a Conversation at Geneva on May 22, 1935, with M. Kazemi, the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs, respecting Anglo-Persian relations' (folio 45)
  • 'Anglo-Persian Relations. Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen's conversation with Persian Minister.' (folios 119-122)
  • 'Committee of Imperial Defence. Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. Minutes of a meeting of the Sub-Committee held at No. 2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W.1. on Thursday, 25th October, 1934, at 3.30 p.m.' (folios 130-137)
  • 'Committee of Imperial Defence. Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. Minutes of the Thirty-fifth meeting of the Sub-Committee, held at No. 2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W.1., on Friday, October 12th, 1934, at 3,30 p.m.' (folios 151-168)
  • 'Committee of Imperial Defence. Standing Ministerial Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. Bahrein. Memorandum by Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.' (folio 169)
  • 'Committee of Imperial Defence. Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. Minutes of a meeting of the Sub-Committee held in the Room of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, House of Commons, S.W.1, on Monday, June 11th, 1934, at 4.0 p.m.' (folios 261-276)
  • 'Relations with Persia. Admiralty Memorandum', 1934 (folios 284-289)
  • 'Committee of Imperial Defence. Standing Ministerial Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. Persian Policy. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for India', 1934 (folios 290-291)
  • 'Persia. Memorandum by Sir R. Vansittart' Foreign Office, 1934 (folios 316-317)
  • 'Committee of Imperial Defence. Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. Minutes of a meeting of the Sub-Committee held in Conference Room 'A', No. 2, Whitehall Gardens, SW1, on Friday, May 4th, 1934, at 3.45 p.m.' (folios 355-378)
  • 'Proposed Anglo-Persian General Treaty. Position reached on January 17, 1934' (folios 417-431).

The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (432 folios)
Arrangement

The subject 200 (Anglo-Persian Treaty Negotiations) consists of eight volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/1250-1257. The volumes are divided into ten parts, with parts 1 and 2 comprising one volume, parts 3, 4 and 5 comprising one volume each, parts 6 and 7 comprising the fifth volume, and parts 8, 9 and 10 comprising one volume each.

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 433; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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File 200/1928 Pt 10 'Persia: Anglo-Persian Relations. Treaty Negotiations' [‎388v] (777/868), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1257, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100066374633.0x0000b4> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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