Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎65r] (129/678)

Foreign Office Frees—-No. 1465 —19-11-03—30.
CONSULAR SERVICE IN PERSIA.
In our despatch of the 2nd October 1902, we suggested two alternative
Secret e., October 1902 , Nos. ?7-78. proposals to His Majesty’s Government,
-•l-.-ij i viz. (1) that a special Consular Service
should be constituted to provide officers for certain posts in Persia and the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and (2) that a special Persian section should he organised in
the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Consular Service with a view to manning the posts in question.
Neither of these proposals found acceptance with His Majesty’s Govern
ment, but the opportunity was taken to consider the question of creating
certain new Consular appointments, and to effect minor adjustments in the
present manner of filling certain posts.
After some correspondence His Majesty’s Government directed that the
scale of appointments, and the source from which they should be manned
should be as follows;— *
Indian Appointments.
Bushire
Meshed
Baghdad
Consulates-General
Seistan
Kerman
Mohammerah
Consulates
Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Service.
{ Ispahan.
Tabriz,
f Basrah,
f Shiraz.
Bunder Abbas'
Bahrein
Kermanshah
Vice-Consulates
I Resht.
J Tehran.
j Bushire.
V. Ahwaz.
The net result is (1) the addition to the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Service of one Consulate,
viz., Shiraz, newly created, and two Vice-Consulates, viz., Eushire and Ahwaz*
the latter a new appointment, the former one hitherto manned from India;
(2) the addition to Indian posts of one Consulate, viz., Mohammerah, formerly
a Vice-Consulate officered from the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Service, and one Vice-Consulate, viz.,
Kermanshah, a post newly created. The intention is, however, that for the
present Mr. McDouall, the Vice-Consul at Mohammerah, should not be
disturbed, and that, for so long as he stays at Mohammerah, Ahwaz should he
officered from India. Of the present Indian incumbent of the Bushire Vice-
Consulate, no mention has been made : it is presumed that he will not be moved
for the present. It may be noted that the inclusion of Shiraz among the posts
to be filled from the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Service has formed the subject of protest from the
Government of India. The reason for the decision of His Majesty’s Govern
ment on this point is unknown.
The action at present required, then, of the Government of India under
the sanctioned scheme is to establish Vice-Consulates at Kermanshah and at
Ahwaz—the incumbent of the latter post to be specially charged with the
duty of cultivating friendly relations with the Lur and Bakhtiari tribes.
Colonel Kemball, however, in a demi-official letter dated the 15th October,
has expressed the opinion—
(1) that the commercial interests at Ahwaz are such that the post there
should be held by an officer versed in trade matters;
(2) that if the Ahwaz appointment is thus filled, the need for a
Consular officer of any kind at Mohammerah is doubtful;
(3) that an officer dealing with the tribes would find full employ
ment in this work alone ; and could not satisfactorily combine it
with his commercial duties as a Consul;
(4) that in many ways Isfahan, and not Ahwaz, would be the most
suitable head-quarters for an officer moving among the tribes.
His Excellency has noted that he will discuss the case with Sir Arthur
Hardinge in the Gulf.
C. L. S. Russell, —6-11-03.
S. M. Eraser, —10-11-03.