‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎273v] (554/617)

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71. We will now proceed to apply the principles which have been
enunciated to a consideration of the particular question referred to us by
Your Lordship, viz., the suggestions of Sir M. Durand on the one hand, and
our own views or proposals on the other, concerning the increase of Consular and
other establishments in Persia. We may say at once that we are anxious to regard
the question from a broad-minded and liberal point of view, that we have no
desire to haggle with Her Majesty’s Government over shares of responsibility or
of cost, and that we are quite willing to add to our own charges for the protection
of British interests in Persia, in the confident belief that Her Majesty’s Govern
ment will not be behindhand with a similar generosity. Our argument as to
the magnitude and significance of those interests and the reality of the dangers
with which they are assailed would have been insincere, were we unprepared to
give to it a practical demonstration.
72. For the sake of clearness we wall divide the country into different
spheres, representing with sufficient accuracy the rough lines of demarcation
between British and Indian interest. In the northern and central sphere
and in the western sphere, the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Government is in
our judgment more directly involved. In the eastern sphere, and in the
southern or maritime sphere, we admit a corresponding preponderance of Indian
interest.
73. Commencing with the first named of these areas, we find that Sir M
Durand recommends an improvement in the pay and status of Her Maiestv’s
Consul-General at Tabriz. In so far as our judgment on the matter is desired
it is in entire accord wfith the proposal. We are more doubtful about the
suggestion to appoint an additional Vice-Consul at Tabriz, with the intention
of posting him later on at Urumia; since w^e incline to the opinion that the
ultimate destiny of the Persian JNestorians has been irretrievably fixed bv their
recent wholesale conversion to the Bussian faith. We concur with Sir M
urand as to the desirability of reducing the Consulate at Besht to a Vice-
Consulate. We have before expressed our hearty concurrence with his pro-
posals concerning the Consulate at Ispahan. These proposals without exLp-
tion concern m their financial aspect the British, and not the Indian, Kcchequer
„ -r V, we , st era sphere Sir M. Durand advocates the appointment of
a British Vice-Consul at Kermanshah, subordinate to the Consul-General at
Tehran, and paid for by England, in place of the present native agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. whose
modest allowance of £24 is drawn, for some unaccountable rilsontij the
charges for the Meshed Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , i.e., from Indian funds. The f£Zs of
Irtish trade passing through Kermanshah from Baghdad to Tehran annear
to us amply to justify the proposed change. We are less confident nlj,u „
IpSSfSsIsP
ture and uncalled for. We are verv doubtful ?P 1 “ on > be both prema-
evolution Persia is prenared for Wilw v- whether m her present state of
live agreement with Bussia shows tint +f S *i le Tf c eot renewal of the probibi-
at any rate intend them to he introduced EnqniriTof the 8 mo™ dt F™?*'
Syt “Jn of °tlie
very few in number that u^der ot If t0 J Ucl " e of the railways,
it were possible, to construct in Persia. ^ editions it would be prudent, if
Cmsul for^ZTatntnnrabttenVfaTat ree ?^T ndS the s " bs «t«tion of a
the Imperial and Indian revenues) for the mf'^ be divided between
whose salary of £490 is defrayed from Vlce - Cons «lat Mohammerah,
the abandonment at an early date of the S ° UrCeS - He a]so contemplated
row paid m equal moieties by the two an “ ua l subsidy of £2,000
service upon the Karun. OuV previous t0 ^ essrs ' ‘heir
previous attitude on this subject will prepare
t -

‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎273v] (554/617)

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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎273v] (554/617)

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