‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎526v] (102/112)

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the British. Empire with Persia, more especially
with the ports of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , in which the
foreign trade of Persia is almost exclusively
British. It is unnecessary for me to trouble lour
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 coun
tries 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 consid- Y
oration of its commercial interests is, in view
of their importance, and of the political relations
between England 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 be effected without any reference to
their views. It is conceivable that a rearrangement
of that system in which the interests of Russia
and Persia were alone considered might, without
any appearance of differential treatment, be dis
tinctly prejudicial to our trade.
,c 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 benelit Russian trade
and injure British without infringing our strict
treaty rights. lam therefore charged to make
the request that before the new tariff is irrevo
cably settled, the Persian Government will, 4
havino* regard to the commercial interests and
friendly relations referred to above, communicate
it (of course, confidentially) to the British Govern
ment, so as to enable the latter to ootain modifi
cations, while there is still time, of any proposed
changes which may he injurious to British in
terests. ”
In a conversation with reference to the
above demand, the Grand \ izier on 28th
November 1901 read out a note written
down by the Shah’s orders to the effect
that the Persian Government could not
undertake to submit the new Russian-
Persian Convention to us before it was
settled with the Russians, but would
communicate a copy as soon as it w T as •The Convention had been already signed on 9tli
completed.* In reply to an inquiry as to November iyoi. (October 27 0 . s.).
whether, if we were dissatisfied with the
new tariff, he would he willing to negotiate
a fresh one as between the British and
Persian Governments, he replied that he
was prepared to consider the proposal.
(Sir A. Hardinge to the Marquis of
Lansdowne, No. 181, dated 29th Novem
ber 1901.)
The formal reply, dated 5th December
1901, was as follows :—
*< With regard to the tariff, the Persian Govern- Enclosure 1 in Secret E., July 1902, Not. 244-300,
ment, in view of its commercial and financial Proceeding No. 275.
interests, had deemed it necessary to change its