"ملف رقم II/١٢ مذكرات معلومات من إدارة الخارجية بخصوص شؤون بلاد فارس والساحل العربي من الخليج الفارسي. يناير "٠٩ --" [و‎‎١‎١] (١٧٨/٢١)

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11
and suggested that it might he well for His
Majesty’s Government to remind the Nether
lands Government of the conditions on which
it had been agreed to remain neutral in the
matter.
17. In regard to the assurances to be
Relations with the P^O^ph
Sheikh of Mohaimnerah o2 oj the Memorandum
and the Bakhtiari f or J u l y to the
Sheikh of Moham-
merah and the Bakhtiari Khans, Sir E. Grey
informed Mr. Marling in a despatch, dated the
31st July 1908, that it would be undesirable
at present to give the Bakhtiari Khans any
assurances beyond an expression of friendly
sympathy, but that, in Ihe case of the Sheikh
of Mohammerah, the general assurances already
given to him in 1902 (viz., that the British
Government would protect Mohammerah
against naval attack by a Foreign Power,
whatever pretext for such action might be
alleged, and also, that, so long as the Sheikh'
remained faithful to the Shah and acted in
accordance with the advice of the British
Government, they would continue to give him
their good offices and support), might be
repeated, and extended to his successors. It
might further be pointed out that His
Majesty’s Government had engaged to respect
the independence and integrity of Persia; and
this involved the maintenance of the status quo
in that country and included the continuance
of the Sheikh’s present state of autonomy..
External aggression on him would therefore
constitute an infringement of Persian integrity,
w hich was recognised by the Anglo-Russian
Convention. Mr. Marling was directed to
instruct His Majesty’s Consul-General at
Bushire to address a communication to the
Sheikh in the above sense, and His Majesty’s
Vice-Consul at Ahwaz to take an opportunity
of offering to the Khans an assurance of the
friendly sympathy of His Majesty’s Govern
ment towards the Bakhtiari tribe.
Major Cox, Political Resident in the
Persian Gulf, communicated the necessary
assurances to the Sheikh in a letter, dated the
1^; December 1908. Intimation has not yet
been received of the delivery of the message
intended for the Bakhtiari Khans, as His
Majesty’s Vice-Consul has been on tour in the
north.
18. (Vide paragraph 14 of the Memo-
Hormuz red oxide randum for October
concession. 7^8.) On the 26th
September 1908, Mr. Ellinger informed the
Board of Trade that the Muin w 7 ould be willing
to form a company for the workingof the oxide
concession, provided that he received satis
factory assurances of protection by His
Majesty’s Government for himself and his