File 200/1928 Pt 8 'Anglo-Persian Negotiations' [‎359r] (724/1096)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITA Nmc MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
- L. i
3
October 3, 1932
Section 1.
300
[E 5045/208/34]
No. X.
Sir John Simon to Sir R. Vansittart.—(Received October 3.)
(No. 271.)
THE United Kingdom delegate to the League of Nations presents his
compliments, and has the honour to transmit a record of a conversation between
Mr. Eden and the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the 29th instant,
respecting the demand for the evacuation of Hen jam.
Geneva, September 30, 1932
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Record of a Conversation between Mr. Eden and the Persian Minister for
Foreign Affairs.
I SAW his Highness Mirza Mohammed Ali Khan Feroughi, Persian
Minister for Foreign Affairs, this evening, and spoke to him in the sense of the
attached note, which is based on Mr. Hoare’s telegram No. 2 to Geneva of the
26th September.
His Highness expressed his regret at not having been able to see Sir John
Simon, but hoped it might yet be possible to arrange an interview. Fie said that
when he left Tehran he understood the position in respect of Henjam was that,
while the Persian Government did visualise the ultimate departure of British
men-of-war from Persian waters, there had been no question, he thought, of
requesting their immediate withdrawal. While he had no knowledge of the
locality nor of the available accommodation, he certainly would not close his mind
to the possibility of joint occupation.
I remarked that I was quite certain that there were no real physical
difficulties in this.
His Highness rejoined that this might be so, but that, none the less, he would
say frankly that, if only for reasons of national pride, Persia would ha\e
preferred to have had Henjam for her own use, but he repeated that he by no
means denied the possibility of joint occupation.
Still less did the Persian Government wish to see a breakdown of the
negotiations. On the contrary, they wished to see them brought to a successful
conclusion at the earliest possible date. They had been dragged out far too long
already, and the Persian Government had the impression, rightly or wrongly,
that His Majesty’s Government were not very eager for their conclusion,
replied that we could accept no responsibility in this respect, and it was instances
such as the request to leave Henjam which made it difficult for us to belie\e m
the sincerity of the Persian desire for the successful issue of negotiations
His Highness then re-emphasised his desire that these negotiations should
be speeded up. He, like us, thought that a successful solution was possible and
^ it could not be arrived at bv direct negotiation only, as he himself thought i
could, then it should be sought by some other method, such as arbitration oi bv
the good offices of the League. . . TT , , A , ^ .
His Highness then went on to say that Sir Francis Hump r\s at k
see him recently and, speaking as a friend, had expressed concern at the
impression in official circles in London that Persia now set little st ^e by the
friendship of Great Britain. I replied that Sir Francis had in no respect
exaggerated this state of affairs, and that T feared such an impiession
undoubtedly did prevail. The Henjam request could but strengthen it.
His Highness then assured me earnestly that on the con ra ), p .
Government had the sincerest desire for close and friendly relations with Great
Britain.
[607 c—11
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