'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎74r] (152/386)

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thought
* Vide Chapter II, paragraph 29, page 32.
bein" rather stiff
that the unsatisfactory answer* given by the Persian Government
to the inclusion of Mohammerah in the
Russian loan security would justify our
in any matter relating to that port. We ought not to
lose the opportunity of recovering our complete influence over the Sheikh.
The Russian Government were bidding for him and were sending him a high
Russian decoration. Sir A. Hardinge advised telling him that we would
support him iu insisting on the execution of his agreement with the Persian
Government regarding customs, and in forcibly resisting, if necessary, any
attempt which the Persians might make (though they were not likely to try it)
to coerce him.
16. Lord Curzon was quite in accord with the British Minister’s proposal
about the Sheikh of Mohammerah, provided it could be shown that the Persians
were proposing to depart from their recent agreement with him ; and after
discussing the matter with Sir A. Hardinge during the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. tour, His
Excellency, on 21st December telegraphed to the Secretary of State that
in his opinion it would be wise to support the Sheikh, if the Persians proposed
to depart from their agreement with him. It seemed to the Viceroy unfortu
nate that the Belgians were ever let into Mohammerah, and it would certainly
be desirable to recover lost ground.
17. On the 23rd December 1003, the Secretary of State informed Lord
Curzon that on the 11th December 1903, the Foreign Office had authorised Sir
A. Hardinge to inform the Sheikh that His Majesty’s Government considered
him justified in resisting any attempt of the Persian Government to deprive
him of his rights under the Agreement of 1902, and, in accordance with these
instructions, Sir A. Hardinge addressed a letter dated the 21th December 1903
to the Sheikh, of which the following is the most important portion : —
“ Lord Lansdowne says that if, as he presumes is the case from my account of Your
Excellency’s statement to me, the Persian Government is really attempting to repudiate the
arrangement made with you last year, I am authorised to say that you are in his opinion
justified in opposing such attempt. He instructs me to remind you of the message which he
sent you last year and to add that you may rest assured of the support of the British
Government so long as you on your side observe the conditions of the arrangement made
between the Persian Government and yourself.
“ He has authorised me to point out to the Persian Government the necessity for respecting
the conditions of the arrangement on their side, but I do not propose to do so until I hear fur
ther from you, as I think it will be better, in the interests of good relations between the Persian
authorities and yourself, that our intervention should not be invoked until all other means of
adjusting matters between them and you have been exhausted.”
18. A further attempt which was calculated to disturb tbe stains
quo of 1902 was made during Lord Curzon’s Yiceroyalty. In Sep
tember 1901 tbe Persian Bevenue steamer Muzafferi (in charge of the
Belgian customs administration at Bushire) and the gun-boat Persepolis
were found busy in the Shat-el-Arab in search of contraband without consulting
the Sheikh who was responsible for the safety of the river. On receipt
of the information the Government of India telegraphed to Sir A. Hard
inge on the 21st September to the effect that the Arabistan customs bad been
separated from those of the Gulf and that under the agreement of 1902, the
Sheikh was under the control of the Central Customs Department and enquired
whether the visit of the Director at Bushire in the Persepolis did not constitute
a direct violation of the arrangement between the Sheikh and the Persian
Government. There was no information, it was added, in the possession of the
Government of India pointing to any failure on the Sheikh’s part to provide
boats for the local customs ollicials as stipulated in the arrangement hut if he
had not refused, an explanation seemed necessary as to the presence in his
jurisdiction of outside customs vessels especially as the appointment of such
officers were to be approved by him.
This telegram was repeated to Major Cox, and it was ascertained from
the Consul at Mohammerah that the Sheikh had never refused to lend his
steam boats to the local Customs official.
Mr. Grant Duff (His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires at Tehran) telegraphed
in reply to our telegram of 21st September, stating that the steamer Muzafferi
had been sent to seize arms at Gusbah, and that he was addressing the Persian