‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎509v] (68/112)

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the foreign trade of Persia is almost exclaf-ively
British. It is unnecessary for me to trouble Your
Highness with statistics in support of this well-
known fact, and I will merely observe that, in
view of it, my Government cannot regard with
passive indifference a revision of the commercial
relations between Persia and foreign powers. Its
latest treaty with Persia gives it, it is true, merely
a most-favoured-nation treatment clause, which
every other Treaty Power, including countries so
remote and unconcerned with the trade of Persia
as Spain and Denmark, enjoy, but it is obvious
that its moral claim to a careful consideration of
its commercial interests is, in view of their impor
tance and of the political relations between Eng
land and Persia, of a very different character, and
entitle His Majesty’s Government to demand that
a complete change in the system of duties to which
its trade is subject should be negotiated with
them as well as with Russia, and should not he
effected without any reference to their views. It
is conceivable that a re-arrangement of that
system in which the interests of Russia and Persia
were alone considered, might, without any appear
ance of differential treatment, he distinctly
prejudicial to our trade.
** A tariff, for example, under which petroleum
(from whatever country) was admitted at a low
duty, and tea (from whatever country) was
charged with a very high one, would benefit
Russian trade and injure British without infring
ing our strict treaty rights. lam therefore charged
to make the request that before the new tariff
is irrevocably settled, the Persian Government
will, having regard to the commercial interests
and friendly relations referred to above, com
municate it (of course, confidentially) to the Bri
tish Government so as to enable the latter to
obtain modifications, while there is still time, of
any proposed changes which may be injurious
to British interests. I am also in this connection
again to remind Your Highness of the special
interests, loth commercial and political, of Great
Britain in the ports of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and
Southern Persia generally, as well as iu the prov
ince of Seistan, in which, from their respective
proximity to the Indian Ocean and to British
India, our trade is predominant, and indeed almost
exclusive, and to request an undertaking that in
those portions of Persia advantages should be
conceded to His Majesty's Government not less
than those which have been, or may hereafter be,
accorded to any other foreign power or its sub
jects in other portions of His Majesty the Shah’s
dominions.
<( This is, I think Your Highness will admit, a
very moderate and reasonable request.
“With reference to Seistan, His Majesty’s Gov
ernment have taken note with satisfaction of
the assurance, which Your Highnes was good
enough to give me in the course of our recent
conversations about the Russian loan, that it
was not the intention of the Persian Government
to pledge the revenues of that province, as security
for a loan, or otherwise, to any foreign power
or its subjects. They would be glad if this assur
ance could be placed on formal record in a written
communication from the Persian Government.”
With regard to the above demand about
Seistan, the Grand Vizier read out to Sir
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