‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎490v] (30/112)

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•who was instructed as follows by Lord
Salisbury:—
The Mabquis of Salisbury to Sir H. Drum
mond Wolff.
(No. 19.)
(Telegraphic.)
Foreign Office, February 1, 1890.
" You are authorized to protest against any
scheme which would give the monopoly of railways
in Persia to Russian contractors. Such a concession
would be fatal to Persian independence, and
would be a breach of faith on the part of Persia
towards Her Majesty’s Government/’
Thereupon the Eritish Minister left the
following note with the Amin*es-Sultan
recalling the Shah’s promise, dated Sep
tember 1888
Sir H. Drummond Wolff to the Amin-es-
Sultan.
Secret E., Jane 1890, Nos. 18-31, Proceeding
No. 29.
Tehran, February 1, 1890.
" M. le Ministre,
As it is generally reported that applications are
being addressed by foreign contractors to His
Majesty the Shah for concessions of railways in
Persia, I venture to recall to the recollection of your
Excellency the gracious promise contained in the
autography oE His Majesty the Shah dated the
10th March’ 1 *. By this document His Majesty • loth March 1889.
w r as pleased to convey to me the solemn assurance—
( 1 ) that whsnever a railway concession may
be given any where in Persia, a similar
concession shall be granted to an Eng
lish company fora line from Tehran
to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ;
( 2 ) that no concession of any kind will be
given for a railway from Tehran to
the south except in agreement with
this Legation.
“Her Majesty’s Government have charged me
to remind your Excellency of these engagements
merely with the view of avoiding the possibility
of any conflict of interests which may be caused
by the applications at present submitted to His
Majesty by others.”
Meanwhile the Shah had the previous
dny himself rejected the demands of the
Kussian contractors on account of the exor
bitant conditions asked for, wdiich would
have practically given them the complete
and unlimited control of the kingdom.
The Russian Legation disclaimed all con
nection with the concession, but it was
believed by the Amin-es-Sultan that the
draft was drawn up with the knowledge
of the Russian Government. His Excel
lency therefore read the Shah’s answer to
the Russian Charge d’Affaires and in his Seer#t E., June 1890, No», 7-17, Proceeding No.
presence explained to the two contractors 15,
that the engagement given to Russia was
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