‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎253v] (514/617)

while the knowledge that a ^^“^“Xwould^it can scarcely be doubted,
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ultimate access to Southern Persia and the Persian Gi .
K K 'NTcvcrlbeless before we recommend that such a policy should be
essayed we desire to raise the question whether though it be impossible to
conclude an agreement with Russia for the joint patronage and development
of PCTsia it might not yet be possible to come to an understanding with her
for the separate patronage and development of that country m distinct and clearly
defined compartments by the two great Powers, in other words for a recognition
of British and Russian spheres of interest m the dominions of the bhah. lbs
is a solution the desirability of which has not been lost sight of by Sn M.
Durand, but which for certain reasons he did not eel called upon to discuss
Recent events in China have familiarised the pub ic mind with the idea of such
spheres of interest, although their existence would appear to be still somewhat
lacking both in clearness of definition and m precision of outline. Ihe Vmeroy
has observed in recent telegrams from Lord Salisbury to Sir M. Durand
with reference to a Persian loan and to mining concessions m that country,
indicatious of a willingness to concede to Russia liberties m the north or 1 eisia,
parallel in scope and substance with those conceded to Great Britain m the
south; and it is worthy of consideration whether in an expansion of this
sn°’ 0> estion might not he found a feasible scheme.
56. We have already alluded to the line across Persia drawn by Sir M. Durand
from Khanikin on the Turkish frontier, through Kermanshah, Hamadan, Ispahan,
Yezd, and Kerman to Seistan, as indicating the northern limits of the sphere
within which British political influence and trade are paramount. To some extent
this partition is assisted by geographical conditions, the great deserts of Central
Persia constituting a natural barrier between the north and the south, and
roughly dividing the one from the other. But this situation is modified both
in the west of Persia, where there are no deserts, and w T here there is no
physical line of demarcation between the respective spheres of influence;
in the centre of Persia, where Ispahan can hardly he said to constitute the
natural frontier of any geographical zone; and also in the extreme east where
Seistan, the inclusion of which in the British sphere would he an obligatory
point, lies not to the south but to the north of the great desert. These con
siderations might not affect the suecess of any engagement that was carried out
with equal bona fides by both parties : but they might become a fruitful source
of friction were such a good understanding not to he counted upon in the
future. In any case, we would recommend that the line of partition, suggested
by Sir M. Durand, should he so far amended as to substitute Kashan for
Ispahan. It would be undesirable that any Russian railway should penetrate
further south than Kashan, which indeed is separated by a considerable range
of hills from Ispahan, or that Russia should have right of access to the very
fringe of the latter district.
57. We have observed that in China the Agreement recently concluded
between Her Majesty’s Government and Russia as to spheres of interest has
related to railways only. Either party has pledged itself not to seek on
its own account or on behalf of others for railway concessions in the rival
sphere,, and not to obstruct, directly or indirectly, applications for such
concessions, supported by the other in that sphere. JPrima facie there does not
appear to he any reason why such an agreement should not equally he extended
to mines, roads, and other industrial or economic undertakings. The value
of such an understanding is considerable; because although political influence
is not expressly mentioned, yet in eastern countries commercial and industrial
enterprises are the familiar agencies through which political influence is exercised
by alien powers, and because that influence is apt to follow in the w r ake of
rail vi ays and trade. Me do not think, if such an agreement were arrived at with

‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎253v] (514/617)

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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎253v] (514/617)

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