‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎523v] (96/112)

93
t *
A. k
* *
two notes wliicli Mr. des Graz had addressed on
the subject to the Mushir-ed-Dowleh, and the
last of which had not yet been answered.
« His Highness then endeavoured to areue that
our interests were not affected by any changes
in the position of the Sheikh, who was a loeal
Governor like any other. I said I hoped he would
allow me to be frank with him on the subject.
I had no wish to call in question the Shah’s
sovereignty over the Chief or people of Moham-
merah, which His Majesty s Government had
always recognised.
“Our experience in Seistan had however been a
lesson in the effects on our interests which a
Russian Consul and Belgian customs officials,
who were not always judicious, could produce at
the residence of a remote and ill-informed Persian
Governor. On the Karnn, as in Seistan, the
Russians had vio bona fide commercial interests and
their recent appointment of a Consul oauld have
only political objects. We were determined not
to have, if we could help it, another Seistau m
Mobammerab, and to_ let Sheikh Khazal there
fore understand that if Russian agents attempted
to intimidate him, or insinuate that they could
bring pressure to bear on him owing to the
indnence which they exercised at Tehran, we on
our side were ready to support him. It was
because threats of this kind had been used by
Prince Dab'ja, Russian Consul at Ispahan, when
he visited Mohammerah, that I had ielt obliged to
intimate to the Sheikh that our naval forces in
the Gulf were more powerful than those of Russia
and that they might be employed in certain
eventualities for the purpose of maintaining the
status quo in which he and we were alike inteiest-
ed.”
Sm A. Hardinge to the Mushir-ed-Dowleh.
December 5, 1002.
“No answer having been received by this
Legation from Your Excellency to the note
dated October 11, which Mr. des Graz had the
honour to address to you respecting customs
changes at Mohammerah, and Your Excellency
having in your reply to a previous communication
on the subjeeb said that the matter might have to
^ referred to His Majesty the Shah and the
At ibeg-i-Azam, I had some conversation respect
ing it with His Highness on the 1st instant.
“ The Atabeg i-Azam observed that he had
shared Your ExcelLncy’s surprise at the employ
ment bv Mr. des Graz of the word “ Karardad, ’
to describe the progress by which the Persian
Government hid effected certain administrative
change^ in a district whose rider was its subject.
His ^Highness however recognised that these
chancres as affecting British commerce were a
matter of legitimate interest to His Majesty s
Government, and whilst declining to admit that
the instinotion given by him some years ago that
Lynch Brothers should be allowed to pay customs
duties at Ahwaz and Shuster, was a pledge per
petually binding the Persian Government, had
directed jVI. Nans to discuss this question with me
with a view to the conclusion of a modus vivendi.
“ I observed on my side that, while depreca
ting in th 3 strongest manner any suggestion that
the'use of the word “ agreement ” could be cons
trued as implying on our part a doubt as to the
Enclosure 1, Proceeding So. 340. Secret E., June
1903, Sos 337-56.
Note. —This is the draft letter submitted to Lord
Lansdowne, for approval, in Sir A. Hardinge’s des
patch of 5th December 1902. Lord Lansdowne in his
telegram No. 71 of 31st December 1902 (not trace
able in Foreign Department records) directed some
alterations to be made. The modified note appears
to have been sent to the Mushir ed-Dowloh on the 6 th
January 1903, vide Pro. No. 139, Secret E., August
1903.