‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎504r] (57/112)

55
to make undertakings with any foreign Govern
ment for a new loan and pledge its customs, the
British Government cannot in this case consent
that the customs of the ports of Fars should be
included. Although from the beginning of the
loan agreement of 1900 the British Government
was aware that the customs of Fars and the ports
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. were excluded from the
guarantee of the loan, His Excellency Sir Morti
mer Durand sent a reminder and negotiated on
the subject while the Persian Government expres
sed its agreement in the matter.
(i In conclusion, this well-wisher gives this
answer that, if enquiries are made from Your
Excellency regarding its locality and Government,
Mohammerah and the pcrts of Arabistan are
included in the Governorship of Arabistan, and
that their revenue, military administration, and
their other affairs without exception have been and
are now included in the Governorship of Arabistan,
and if enquiries are made as to the customs of
those places, the customs of the whole of Persia
are, for the present, under one administration,
the central office of which is in Tehran, the capi-
tal”
His Majesty’s Government decided to
complete the loan without requiring for
the present any further definition from
the Persian Government of the doubtful
expression, but intended thereafter to lay
down the interpretation they place on the
engagements undertaken by the Persian
Government towards them which should
he communicated to Persia with an intima
tion that in the event of any attempt to
ignore such engagements, steps would be
taken to secure our rights. At the begin
ning of 1904 it appeared unlikely that
Persia would now ask for the balance of
£100,000, and the Government of India
suggested that the question of the inter
pretation of the phrase “ Pars and the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ’» should be taken up
in connection with the “ R&glement
Douanier.”
This was done, and on 4th March 1904
Sir A. Hardinge telegraphed that the
Persian Minister for Poreign Affairs took
up the line that the expression “ Southern
Persia ” as a distinct term was suggested
by Sir M. Durand in a note addressed to the
• See page 43 . Sadr Azam, embodying a message No.* 10
of 7th April 1899 from Lord Salisbury
about the loan.
This is the message in which the nar
rower term “ ports of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ’*
was first used, and the British Minister
added that we must be prepared for the
Persian Government requiring that their
earlier engagement should be construed
in the light of this subsequent declaration
on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.
This view was combated by the Govern
ment of India, who on 12th March replied