Settlement of the Opposing Claims of Persia and Afghanistan to Seistan [‎433v] (14/54)

be sent by the three parties to the frontier, i. e by England, Persia, and Khelat,
otherwise, if the frontier is not defined, these difficulties may be daily arising.
The same day Mr Thomson telegraphed the substance of the Shah’s proposal
Mr. Thomson's No. 36 of 14 th April 1870 . to the Foreign Office, and repeated it in a des-
patch written the tollowing day.
Mr, Thomson’s No, 39 of 15th April 1870,
Tn rpr.lv to this despatch the Earl of Clarendon informed Mr. Alison that
^ ^ ^ Her Majesty’s Government agreed to the Shah’s
Earl Clarendon’s No 39 of 10th June 1870. pyopog^ aiK } General Goldsmkl Would be
instructed to proceed to the Mekran frontier, either before or after the termination
of the Seistan arbitration.
On the receipt of this despatch Mr. Alison, in an interview with the Shah,
communicated to His Majesty the decision of
Mr. Alison’s No. 34 of 24th July 1870. British Government with regard to Mekran,
upon which His Majesty stated that that question (as compared with the Seistan
arbitration) was one of secondary importance.
Shortly afterwards Mr. Alison received a note from Mirza Saeed Khan,
• ht at * *\r •icnfg'ith proposing that British and Persian Commis-
Enclosure in Mr. Alison’s No. 38 ot 2&tn r r i i i i • i it
July 1870 . sioners should proceed to Beloochistan and draw
up a map of Persia’s possessions there, with those of the Khan of Khelat and
of their boundaries—these maps to be brongt to Teheran for the decision of the
British and Persian Governments.
In reply to this note Mr. Alison wrote to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Enclosure No. 1, Mr. Alison’s No. 43 of that, as this COUrSC Would “ obviously not prO-
17 th August 1870 . duce the result contemplated by the Shah in
his dast-khatt of the 14th of April, viz., of setlling the boundary line by a com
mission on the spot, he would he glad to receive some explanation on the
subject for the information of Her Majesty’s Government.”
The Foreign Minister in his answer stated that the Shah expected the
Persian, English, and Khelat Commissioners
to draw “ up a map of Persia’s” possessions
those of the Khan of Khelat with their boundaries,
themselves to Teheran. That question would
then he justly decided with the knowledge of t the British Government. The
above statement purported to be made with a view to making clear the passage
in the Shah’s autograph to the effect that “ from
Persia, England,]and Khelat let Commissioners be
sent to settle the boundary line.”
Enclosure No. 2.
in Beloochistan and
and bring the same with
(Enclosure 4 in Mr. Thomson’s No. 39.)
In this communication Mirza Saeed Khan laid great stress upon the prior
importance of the Seistan arbitration.
In a subsequent despatch, Mr. Alison records the strong leaning of the Shah
Mr. Alison, No. 44 Of 17th August 1870 . “ favour of the priority of the Seistan arbitra-
tion, and encloses a memorandum from Mirza
Enclosure 3 in No. 44 . Saeed Khan in which the Persian Government
promises to refrain from aggressive movements
on the Khelat frontier.
After, the occurrence of events in Afghanistan which rendered the possibility
of proceeding with the Seistan arbitration highly problematical, it was agreed
that General Goldsmid and the Persian Commissioner should proceed to Kirman,
whence, according to circumstances, they could branch off to Seistan or to
Mekran. J
^ me ^ ie s t a Hed on - his pilgrimage to Kerbela, taking Mirza
Saeed Khan with him, and. Mr. Alison directed his efforts to obtaining by corres
pondence with that functionary, a declaration that, if unavoidable, the Mekran
aibitration should precede the Seistan. Failing in this, he found it necessary
Mr. Alison, No. 69, of 8th November 1870. ^ es P atc ^ ^ r - Ongley to the royal Camp with
instructions to obtain an explicit declaration on
the subject.