‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎498v] (46/112)

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southern ports of Persia," the terms hither
to employed in this connection. Bat the
exact context of the conversation with the
Persian Minister in which Lord Salisbury
used these words is not recorded, and it is
clear that His Lordship used them, not
with the intention of making any departure
from our former requirements, hut under
the impression that he was repeating
merely the same thing in other words.
This is shewn by what immediately fol
lows :—“We renew to the Persian Govern
ment this intimation which we have more
than once given before, etc.” Nor is there
any reason to hold that the Persian Govern
ment in view of the language used by Sir
M. Durand and the whole circumstances of
the communication would be justified in
supposing that Lord Salisbury’s message
operated to lessen the effect of the pledges
we had insisted upon with regard to the
ports of Southern Persia. The reply of the
Shah's Government was as follows :—
Sir M. Durand to the Marquis of
Salisbury.
(No. 25.)
Tehran, 17th April 1899.
(Telegraphic.)
“ I communicated to Sadr-Azam Your Lord
ship’s telegram of April 7th. Following is Shah’s
reply which I am asked to communicate to Your
Lordship.
“ His Majesty is grateful for the friendly
advice of the British Government. At the same
time His Majesty has been surprised, for it is
that the Persian Government will not admit, in
the Gulf ports or elsewhere in Persia, anything
which may be incompatible with the sovereign
independence of the country, nor would they take
any steps which might be dangerous to the
independence of Persia ”
5. In 1900 when a loan was obtained by
the Persian Government from the Bus-
sian Banque d'Escompte, after failure
of the negotiations for a joint Anglo-
Bussian loan, the Persians intimated
to Russia that they had promised us not
to place their southern customs under
foreign control, and as Russian control
was a contingent condition of the loan,
their exclusion had to be provided for.
Accordingly the security given was des
cribed in the contract as “ les revenues
de toutes les douanes de Perse a Pexcep-
tion de celles de Ears et des ports du
Golfe Persique." The question of the exact
scope of the phrase " Ears and the Persian
Gulf” is one of considerable importance,
but at the time when the Russian loan
contract was first published on January
30th, 1900, with the clause excluding
only the customs of “ Ears and the Persian
Gulf," His Majesty's Government made
1900.
^ Secret E., June 1900, Nos. 1.27, Proceeding
Encloiure 1 in Secret E., July 1903. Nn* 173.1 ST
Proceeding No 180. *
Enclosure No. 2 in Secret E., March
377-621, Proceeding No. 494 .
Article 4.
1902, Noe.