‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎482r] (13/112)

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assurance to the Shah that the engagements
between Great Britain and Russia to respect and
promote the integrity and independence of the
Persian kingdom have again been renewed and
confirmed.^
October
1888 .
Anglo-Persian Assurance.
Secret E., January 1889 , Nos. 22 - 24 -A., Proceed-
ng No. 23 .
Secret E., January 1889 , Nos. 25 - 29 , Proccedintr
No. 26 .
Thus were renewed and confirmed in
1888 the engagements between Great
Britain and Russia as to the integrity of
Persia and these assurances were communi
cated to the Shah.
9. In the Autumn of 1888 the Shah,
alarmed at suspected Russian designs
on Meshed, was endeavouring to obtain
direct and separate assurances of protec
tion from both Her Majesty’s Government
and that of Russia. On the one hand, he
addressed an autograph letter to the
Emperor, asking for an autograph renewal
of the assurances given by his father and
grandfather of the independence and
integrity of Persia, and on the other, he
proposed to Sir H. D. Wolff that a formal
secret treaty should be concluded bet
ween Her Majesty’s Government and the
Shah, by which England should undertake
to protect Persia from attacks on the part
of Russia, if unprovoked, or where England
thought Persia was not in the wrong.
Sir H. D. Wolff was of opinion that
this overture on the part of the Shah
should not be. summarily rejected. So
long as His Majesty was deterred by fear
of Russia from granting concessions (and
the Russian Legation had just informed
the Shah that a concession for railways
granted to a foreigner of any nationality
whatever would be looked upon as a blow
given to Russia and would entail repri
sals) our position in Persia must be second
ary and the development of the country
would remain at a standstill. But if sucli
an assurance could be given to the Shah
as would encourage him actually to grant
a concession to British subjects, Russia
could not openly make of it a pretext for
aggression.
The concession being a fait accompli,
we should have established our hold on the
country, and Russia would be compelled
either to acquiesce in it or come to some
understanding with us. In exchange for
the assurance asked for by the Shah, Sir
H. H. Wolff recommended that the British
Government should demand the opening
of the Karun river. The views of the
British Minister were apparently approv
ed of by Lord Salisbury, and on 18th
September 1888,.Sir H. L>. Wolff formally
called the attention of the Persian Gov
ernment to the assurances and promises
made at different times by His Majesty
the Shah to Her Majesty’s Government
that the navigation of the Karun would be