‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎516v] (82/112)

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C
issued by the Foreign Office to Mr. E. M.
Grant Duff, who communicated the result
in the following telegram :—
E. M. Grant Duff, Esq., Tehran, to Foreign
Office, London (repeated to Foreign, Cal
cutta).
3rd December 1903,
(Telegram No. 158.)
a Hashmat-ul-Mulk, Please see your telegram
No. 151. The reply to my note from the Mushir-
ed*Dowleh is as follows :—
‘ Your note was submitted to His Majesty the
Shah, who expressed his surprise and regret that
the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
should concern himself in the question of the Gov
ernorship of Seistan, as it is clear that the Persian
Government will take requisite steps to preserve
their own interests and to keep order in that prov
ince. The Persian Government do not consider
that a change of Governors concerns foreign politi
cians. If any steps are required for the protection
of British interests, application should be made to
the Persian Government, who, in view of friend
ship between the two Governments, would take
necessary action. The Persian Government do
not consider that, in conformity with courtesy,
such a representation should have been made by the
British Government/^
Thereupon Mr. Grant Duff was in
structed hy Lord Lansdowne to reply to
the following effect. After disclaiming
lack of courtesy in the communication to
the Persian Government which was framed
in Persia’s best interests to promote peace
and order on the frontier, he was to end
as follows :—“ It will be the duty of His
Majesty’s Government to consider care
fully what steps will become necessary
for the protection of British interests in
Seistan, having regard to the unfriendly
character of the message of the Minister
for Foreign Affairs.” The rejoinder of
the Persian Government is reported in the
following telegram:—
E. M. Grant Duff, Esq., Tehran, to Foreign,
Calcutta.
26Ui December 1903 1
(Telegram No. 167.)
(t Hashmat-ul-Mulk. Please see your telegram
No. HI, dated 5th December. I have addressed
a note to the Persian Government in the sense of
the instructions received from Your Lordship.
The following is an abstract of the note which
I received in reply :—I am much surprised to
learn that my note was considered unfriendly,
because l wished simply to give assurance that
whatever change may be made in the administra
tion of Seistan, it will have no political signifi
cance, or affect friendship between the two Gov
ernments. Changes in administration of Seistan
or other provinces are not based on political grounds
which may affect British interests. ‘ The note
ends by requesting that the foregoing may be
brought to Your Lordship’s knowledge, in order to
dispel any doubts which may exist on the subject ’
“ Addressed to the London Foreign Office 5
repeated to Foreign, Calcutta/'
Telegram No. Ill, dated the 6 th December 1908.
Received with Political Secretary’s letter No. 52,
dated 11th March 1903.