Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎168v] (342/380)

2
In a telegram dated the 26th September, 1914 (64214/14, No. 12), the Government
of India approved these two drafts, with the addition of a specific reference to the
Holy Places in Mesopotamia.* And on the 6th October, 1914 (66896/14, No. 27), they
informed the Resident that the issue of assurances, on the lines suggested in their
previous telegram of the 6th September, 1914, had been approved provisionally by
His Majesty’s Government.
In both these telegrams the Resident was instructed not to despatch any of the
approved documents until final instructions to that effect were sent to him.
Accordingly, on the 1st November, 1914, when a state of war between Great Britain
and Turkey had already existed for two days, he telegraphed to the Government
of India for permission (82713/14, p. 7). On the 2nd November, 1914, the Govern
ment informed him that permission was implied in certain previous telegrams of theirs
(p. 8), and on receipt of this authorisation he appears immediately to have telegraphed
instructions for the delivery of the messages to the local residents at the courts of the
various chiefs (p. 17).
The assurances therefore bear date of the 3rd November, 1914.
(ii.) Assurances to the Sheikh of Mohammerah,
The Sheikh of Mohammerah’s authority extends over the port of Mohammerah (on
the Karun River near its confluence with the Shatt-al-Arab), the navigable section
of the Karun up to Ahwaz, and the Arab tribes in the neighbourhood of the river.
He is nominally a Persian subject, but it is many years since the Government at
Tehran has exercised effective authority over him, or indeed over the other nominally
Persian territories (Luristan, Bakhtiari-land, Kashgai-land, &c.) that border on his
dominions. The competent administration of the Sheikh in these dominions has been
in marked contrast to the surrounding disorder.
Commercial relations between Great Britain and Mohammerah are of old standing,
and have given rise to political relations between His Majesty’s Government and Sheikh
Khazal since the beginning of the present century.f British interests at Mohammerah
were vastly increased by the concession accorded by the Persian Government to
Mr. W. K. d’Arcy in 1901, and taken up by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1909.
The oil-fields on which the Company concentrated its activities lay north-east of the
Karun, on the borders of Sheikh KhazaTs country and Bakhtiari-land, and the natural
access from the sea was across Mohammerah territory. The Company made an agree
ment with the Sheikh in 1909, and laid a pipe line from the fields to Mohammerah
port. The fields proved so productive that by an agreement signed on the 20th May,
1914, His Majesty’s Government acquired a predominant interest in the Company, and
greatly increased the scale of its operations. Since that date His Majesty’s Govern
ment’s relations with Mohammerah have been of direct importance for the supply of
oil fuel to the British Navy.
In view of these closer relations, which began in 1909, the Sheikh asked His
Majesty’s Government for more definite political assurances than they had previously
given him (29456/24869/14). He was particularly anxious about a dynastic guarantee,
and about the safeguarding of his position vis-d-vis the Persian Government and
foreign Powers other than Great Britain. After due consideration of his detailed
proposals, his request was met by the following statement, which was communicated
to him in writing on the 15th October, 1910, by Sir P. Cox, the British Resident in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , together with the insignia of a K.C.I.E. :—
“ I am authorised to inform your Excellency that, whatever change may take
place in the form of the government of Persia, whether it be Royalist or
Nationalist, His Majesty’s Government will be prepared to afford you the
support necessary for obtaining a satisfactory solution in the event of an
encroachment by the Persian Government on your jurisdiction and recognised
rights, or on your property in Persia.
“ In like manner they will safeguard you to the best of their ability against
an unprovoked attack by a foreign Power, or against any encroachment by such
a Power on your said jurisdiction and recognised rights, or on your property
in Persia.”
[In giving these two assurances, Colonel Cox was to add a verbal explanation
to the effect that, while His Majesty’s Government were perfectly sincere in
their intentions towards the Sheikh, and had, therefore, given him these
* “ After words ‘ Mecca and Medina ’ in the Proclamation, add words ‘ or the Holy Places in
Mesopotamia,’ and instead of ‘Holy Places,’ say at the end ‘ said Holy Places.
f See Report, dated December 7th, 1913, by Sir P. Cox in 29456/24869/14.