ملف 1552/1904 الجزء ١ "المحمّرة: مشروع كارون للري [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (٨٣٩/٢٥٠)

He repeated the request which he made to me once hefore, to be kept posted
from time to time as to what was passing, and as to the attitude of the British
Government towards the scheme. He continued that personally he would much
prefer that conditions in his territory should remain as they were, except for the
amount of irrigation he might be able to carry out on the banks of the river by
means of machine pumps, with which he is now experimenting; hut that if a
comprehensive irrigation scheme was inevitable he wished to manage it himself, under ,
our guidance and with our co-operation, and would oppose the acquisition ot a V
Concession by any foreign or Persian Syndicate. He laid stress on the possibility of
a Persian Company obtaining a Concession independently _ of himself. In this
connection, having regard to the statements made to His Majesty s Minister by the
Moin-et-Tuliar, it seems possible that Sheikh Khazal does not a,ltogether trust the
Moin, and thinks that through the instrumentality of the National Assembly he may
be playing selfishly for his own hand, to the prejudice of his (Sheikh Khazal s)
interests. This, however, is merely a conjecture.
I reminded the Sheikh that the National Assembly was strongly opposed to all
foreign Concessions, and that no development seemed likely just at present and
added that I did not personally think that any scheme could prosper which had not
the benefit of his co-operation. The subject was dismissed by the reiteration of the
hope by the Sheikh that we would watch his interests and keep him informed, as far
possible, of developments. tt- ± *
I am forwarding a copv of this communication to His ALajesty s ALinister at
Tehran for his information.
I have, &c.
(Signed) P. Z. COX.