'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.' [‎152r] (308/386)

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3. The next step wns a telegram from Sir A. Hardingo (October 27th)
explaining that the Persian Government desired to olfer me residences at
Bonder Abbas and Bushire. I replied thanking them for this courteous
offer, but asking that J might be excused on the ground of Lady Cutzon’s
health, which rendered it undesirable that I should leave her, and expressing
the hope that, ns 1 could not? accept the hospitality of the Persians on shore,
thev would accept mine on board. This explanation was made to and accepted
bv the Persian Government.
4. Meanwhile Sir A. Hardinge had left Tehran, and in his absence an
attempt was unfortunately made to alter the arrangements that had been
accepted on both sides. Mr. Grant Duff telegraphed on 28th October that,
even though I could not stay ashore at Bushire, the Persian Government hoped
1 would accept an official residence, where the Governor-General could pay
me his visit. What the Persian Government w ere really aiming at (though I
did not see it at the time) was contained in the concluding words of the
telegram:—
“ If Viceroy has not an official residence provided by Persian Govern
ment, the latter wish following change to be made in pro
gramme : Governor-General of Pars to receive Viceroy at land
ing place, and to proceed together to Persian Government
House, where former will receive Viceroy.”
In other words, while the Persian representative affected nominally to pay
the first visit to me, I was in reality to pay the first visit to him. Mr. Grant
Duff added that the Persian Government expected an immediate answer. I
replied accepting the Persian proposals for an official residence.
5. My telegram was crossed by one from Sir A. Hardinge from Kashan,
disapproving of the alterations proposed in his absence. It ran as follows
“ Mushir-ed-Dowleh accepted programme approved by you, and should
not, I think, alter it now\ But it will probably save discussion if
at Bushire at least you accept 'pro forma official residence on
shore for receiving Goveinor-Generars official call.” As I had
already accepted the proposal, I t K)k no further action on the
point.
6. At Maskat, where I was joined by Sir A. Hardinge and Colonel
Kemball, I heard that the official residence which the Persian Government
•were preparing for me at Bushire was situated at a distance of 5 0 miles Irom
the town. As it would he impossible for me to return on board at night from
such a distance, I again begged to be excused; and Sir A. Hardinge tele
graphed to T ehran that, unle-s a suitable residence couid nc pio\ided in the
town, it would he better to revert to the original proposal of the British Resi
dency.
7. The next stage was reached at Xoweit, where letters arrived from
Bushire, explaining that the arrangement proposed was the following. The
residence which the Persian Government was to place at my disposal was^ the
Charhurj, w hich is the Governor’s official place of business in the town. V bile
ostensibly this was to he my official residence, it w r as also to be the head-quar
ters of the Ala-ed-Dowleh, and the plan proposed for ihc interchange of
courtesies was the following : The Governor-General w'as to receive me on
landing and to conduct me to the Charhurj, where he was to pay me a visit in
one room, the house being for the moment treated as mine. 1 was presently to
return his visit in another room, the house having in the interim again become
his. Then in the evening of the same day the official dinner was to be given
by the Ala-ed-DovIeh in a third room of the same house, w hich w ould again
he treated as the Persian official residence, ^ir A. Hardinge, Colonel Kemball
and I agreed that such an arrangement was little better than a farce, and that
the Persian Government, under the guise of offering me an official residence,
were in reality seeking to compel mo to pay the first visit to their Go^ernoi-
General in his house instead of his paying it to me in mine. . VY c accordingly
agreed that this plan could not be accepted, and, as it was not in the power of the