Coll 17/15(1) 'Perso-Iraq Relations: Persia-Iraq frontier; Persia's claim in the Shatt-el-Arab' [‎152r] (314/961)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
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PERSIA.
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January 17, 1935.
CONFIDENTIAL.
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Section 1.
[E 372/32/3%]
No. 1.
United Kingdom Delegate, Geneva, to Foreign Office.—(Received January 17.)
(No. 19.)
THE United Kingdom delegate to the League of Nations presents his compli
ments, and has the honour to transmit record of a conversation between Mr.
Sterndale Bennett and M. Ala, the Persian representative, respecting the Perso-
Iraqi frontier.
Geneva, January 16, 1935.
Enclosure in No 1.
Perso-Iraqi Frontier : Conversation with M. Ala.
M. ALA asked me to go to see him this morning. He told me that he had
taken up with M. Kazemi the point which I had raised yesterday regarding what
M. Kazemi had in mind, when speaking to Sir John Simon on the 11th January,
in his reference to the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930. M. Kazemi had asked him to
explain that the Persians had been through the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty with some
care and had noticed that article 7 of the annex to the treaty gave certain rights to
British war vessels. They had felt that we might possibly be reluctant to use our
influence in favour of a division of sovereignty over the Shatt-el-Arab for fear
that our rights in that river might be curtailed. M. Ala said that M. Kazemi had
not had in mind general shipping rights, though we might rest assured that Persia
had no desire to put obstacles in the way of our shipping. M. Kazemi’s remarks
were, however, intended to refer solely to war vessels. M. Ala remarked that, in
regard to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , British war vessels fell into two categories. There
were those which were permanently stationed in the Gulf, and these had general
permission to visit Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports, subject only to notification to the local
authority. In the case of war vessels not permanently stationed in the Persian
Gulf, however, notification had to be made to the Central Government at Tehran
and specific authorisation given in each case. What M. Kazemi had intended
to convey to Sir John Simon was that, if Persia obtained equal sovereignty in the
Shatt-el-Arab, the Persian Government would be prepared to give to British wai
vessels in the Persian half of the Shatt the same facilities as were conceded by
article 7 of the annex to the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty. British war vessels stationed
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. would only have to notify the local authorities, while the
visits of other vessels would be notified to Tehran for authorisation.
I promised to report this fuller explanation to the Secretary of State.
M. Ala then went on to speak of the frontier dispute in general and said t a
he did not wish to criticise what Mr. Eden had said at the Council meeting, as e
knew that Mr. Eden entertained very friendly feelings towards Persia and a
the suggestion which he had put forward was designed to further a friendly
settlement. At the same time, he wondered whether the proposal f 01 L a r^rence
to the Permanent Court might not have been somewhat premature. Un said mat
a wrong impression appeared already to have been created. e emps, or
instance, had reported that the Council had actually decided yes er W 0
the matter to the Court. I remarked that this was clearly a misunders an mg
which could easily be cleared up. The suggestion of reference to The Hague
Court had, of course, been put forward as one for the rapporteur to consi e .
M. Ala went on to express the view that a, reference to T e f
a decision by that body might leave bitter feelings oehind it. ( e m ep .
he was not, of course, suggesting that the Persian Government thought then m
weak.) He recalled tha,t in the dispute about the Anglo-Persian Oil Compa ^
reference to a legal tribunal had been avoided by friend y agree \ ^
had a good effect on the relations between Persia and Great Britain. Had
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