‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎480r] (9/112)

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the Karun river to trade and navigation
and by constructing good and safe roads
from the interior to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
February 8 , The advice then given with regard
1888 . to the Karun river was followed in 188 S,
but in January of that year the Amin-
es-Sultan on behalf of "the Shah once
again strongly pressed Her Majesty’s
Government to state distinctly what
course they intended to pursue in the event
of encroachment by Russia on Persian ter
ritory. The circumstances which alarmed
the Shah were the persistent pressure
of Russia on the Khorasan frontier, the
delay of the Russians in demarcating the
boundary, their claims as regards the Tur
komans, and their domineering attitude
at Tehran ; and His Majesty intimated
that he did not want merely general
assurances, but a categorical statement
from Her Majesty’s Government whether
they would afford him support or not in
resisting pressure. The Marquis of Salis
bury replied on 8 th Eebruary 1888 as
follows :—
Secret E., May 1888, No*. 155*172, Proceedintr
No. 171.
The Marquis of Salisbury to Her Majesty’s
Charge d’affaires at Tehran.
Foreign Office, London, February 8, 1883.
(Extract.)
No. 6 .
(Secret.)
“ You should explain that it would be difficult
for any Government, and impossible for the
Government of a country with Parliamentary
institutions, such as those of Great Britain, to
pledge itself, in eventualities which cannot be even
vaguely foreseen, to undertake a war with a great
European and Asiatic power. But you may assure
the Shah that the maintenance of the integrity of
Persia is a material part of the policy of England
in the East, and that His Majesty may rest
assured that she will use her best efforts to secure
it.
Secret E„ August 1888, Nos. 134*151, Proceeding
No. 137.
Secret E., August 1888, Nos. 128*133, Proceeding
No 131.
Secret E., September 1889, Nos. 157*185, Proceed
ing No, 172.
This despatch was followed up on 21st
February 1888 by a telegram from Lord
Salisbury to Her Majesty’s Chargd
d’Affaires at Tehran in which His Lord-
ship said that as the Russians had not
made any specific demands, the most prac
tical way of helping the Shah seemed to
be to exercise our influence at St. Peters
burg to induce the Russian Government
to treat pending questions in a moderate
and conciliatory spirit, and on the same
day, February 21st, two despatches, Nos.
51 and 52 (Secret), were sent to Her
Majesty’s Ambassador at St. Petersburg, in
the second of which it was directed that
efforts should be made to get some satis
factory An East India Company trading post. assurances of the Fmperor’s
friendly disposition, in such a form as to be
available for communication at Tehran
but without giving any indication of an