‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎527v] (104/112)

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somewhat technical question, but that I thought
it must be important that we should have
the fullest opportunity of explaining our case to
the Persian Government, and showing, by means <>f
expert evidence, the manner in which the revised
tariff would affect our interests. His Highness
replied that the Persian Government were fully
disposed to consider our representations, and to
do what was necessary to prevent the new scale
of duties from affecting us injuriously as compared
with other countries. No suggested that the
matter was one which could best be discussed at
Tehran/ I asked whether I was to understand
that such a discussion might take place before the
new tariff was finally settled. His Highness
replied in the affirmative.”
4. On August 22nd, 1902, Lord Lans-
downe addressed the following to the
Atabeg-i-Azam :—
The Marquis of Lansdowne to the Atabeg-i-
Azam.
August V2, 1902.
“I have thought it might be convenient that I
should put down on paper, so as. not to forget
them, some of the principal points in our conver
sation of yesterday:—
1. As regards the tariff, you were.good enough
to repeat that you would not definitely conclude
it without first enabling His Majesty’s Govern
ment to call your attention to any provisions
which might be calculated to inflict special injury
upon British trade. W ith this object you would
afford us, unofficially, the means of forming a
judgment on this question.* \ou assured me
also 0 that it was the intention of the Persian
Government that the tariff should fall equally
upon all countries trading with Persia. ”
The reply of the Grand Vizier, however,
in which he points out that, owing to their
conversation having been conducted
through the medium of an interpreter, His
Lordship’s version of what passed was not
quite precise, does not endorse the inter
pretation which Lord Lansdowne had put
upon his language, and while engaging to
give us the means of forming a judgment
about the equal incidence of the tariff upon
all countries trading with Persia, does not
promise to enable the British Government
to call attention to any provisions calcu
lated to inflict special injury upon British
trade.
“ En ce qui concerne le Tarif j’ai repele et je
confirme encore qu’avant la raise en vigueur des
nouvelles dispositions projetees je mettrai le
Bepres^ntant de sa Majeste Britannique a Teheran
a roeme de se convaincre que le nouveau regime
mamtiondra entierement 1 egalite de traitement,
qui a ton jours existe et qui doit continuer k
exister entre hs importations de provenance Bri
tannique et celles de provenance Russe. Les
provenances Britanniques jouiront en Perse,
comme auparavaut, du traitement de la nation
la plus favorisee, et j’ajouterai que, m 6 me les
importations effectuees par les sujets Persans,
semnt soumises aux memes droits d entree que
cellea effectuees par les sujets Anglais. ”
Secret E., March 1903, No*. 201-328, Proceeding
No. 287.
Secret E., March 1933, Nos. 261-328, Proceed
ing No. 293.
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