'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.' [‎117v] (239/386)

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(i) by the seizure of supplies purchased for our Mission under the
telegram of 20th January 1903 sent by M. Nans ordering strict
enforcement of all export. This be said was directed against illicit
trade by the Hashmat-ul-Mulk and Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Turdil Khan, but the
order was enforced in the most insolent way which might easily
have led to collision. The only reparation granted by Naus
was that he would not renew M. Maurice’s engagement, but it
was well known that M. Maurice did not himself desire a renewal.
9. Sir A. Hardinge, however, could. not be persuaded of the systematic
, . . partiality of the Kclgian Customs Ad-
ministration as a whole to Russian, as
opposed to British, interests. He believed that the general policy of the Customs
Department, whatever might be the idiosyncrasies of individual Belgian officers,
was usually fair ; indeed M. Naus he contended often went out of his way to be
helpful to British interests—an opinion shared by M. Rabino, Chief Manager
of the Imperial Bank at Tehran, but opposed to that entertained by Sir Edward
Law. Sir A. Hardinge also pointed out that the one rift in the lute seemed to
be Seistan, but it was observed to the Minister that that was the only frontier
where Russian and British political interests were then in active conflict. He
promised, however, to take action at Tehran as Lord Curzon seemed to wish, after
collecting facts bearing on the question from various Consular officers in Persia.
10. A circular letter was accordingly addressed by Sir A. Hardinge to
. Opinion of Consular Officers. Consular officers where there were
Belgian employes except Seistan. The
reports substantiated the view that while the personal sympathies of parti
cular Belgian officials might be Russian rather than English, such svin-
pathies had never found a practical outcome in the general working of "the
Customs administration which, as a whole, was fair and an improvement on the
Opinion of His Majesty’s Secretary of native one which it had replaced. The
state for India. London Foreign Office inclined to the
opinion, concurred in by the Secretary of State in his despatch of the 24th June
1904, that the fact that good relations appeared to exist between His Majesty’s
Consular officers and the Customs administration in all parts of Persia exceptino*
Seistan rendered it desirable that His Majesty's Consular officers in that Province
should deal with the local Belgian officials in the most considerate and con
ciliatory manner. As a matter of fact, however, the Government of India had
already in January, February and April 1904 warned the Consul in Seistan to
adopt greater tact and politeness.
11. Belgian and British relations in the latter part of 1904 on the whole
aidBefYn ^ffinu 0118 b0tween Britis ^ improved, but a slight attack was made
an egiano cia s. on the postal privilege of the Consular
Bag and an allegation was also made that Captain Macpherson had imported
in his name packages destined for local merchants. As Captain Mac-
pherson was on excellent terms with M. Molitor, the allegation which was
Vl e n to be unfounded was probably the work of M.
. ° f c .. )C or ^ 8 lun g over charge. One important case, however, involving
nM 1 ’t erpr fo a rM 011 °/ ? Cn , alty Clause of tlle ^lenient Douanier arose iS
^sluM in which M. Castaigne adopted an unfriendly
attitude towards Co one! Mmchin. M. Castaigne confiscated 25 camels taking
t0 011 a char " e made h y the customs officials at
Ja w haV1 ? g smu ™led assafoetida from Afghanistan, and
when Colonel Mmchin demanded the substitution of the fine in lieu of con-
^sca ion a owe y e Additional Declaration to the R5glement Douanier,
M. Castaigne imposed the maximum penalty of £60 not merely on the con-
nf oo/a carayan » ea(dl his three servants, thus making
a total ot £240, or nearly £100 more than the value of the camels. The Gov-
Tl!n nt A°iur la | nf T ° r “ ed Slr A. Hardinge that in their opinion the words
,tt d p ,tl ?„ na ? eC , r aratl0 . u ' (“ u,le amende ne depassant pas £60” i
nrifi finp nn f? m r dU 'X 01 £ Urie y ° U ^ on( ^ uc fo ur et des autres personnes ayant
tint o finp nf V‘fin G 1VG + ? fo a ud e ’ 5 ) was capable of hearing the interpretation
was fo be regarded as the maximum collective punishment in