"ملف رقم II/١٢ مذكرات معلومات من إدارة الخارجية بخصوص شؤون بلاد فارس والساحل العربي من الخليج الفارسي. يناير "٠٩ --" [و‎‎٣‎١] (١٧٨/٦١)

tarian scheme being undertaken by the Sheikh
■with our assistance.
Before, however, the foregoing telegram
had been communicated to His Majesty’s
Government, Sir E. Grey had informed
Sir G. Barclay that the British Government
were under no obligation to the Sheikh to
provide him with a loan; that no hope of a
loan should be held out to him; and that he
must be left to make his own terms with the
Syndicate for land at Abadan and any other
facilities required by them.
11. Erom a conversation which the Sheikh
Relations of the Sheikh ^ith Major Cox at
of Mohammerah with the end of December, it
thePersianGovernment. appeared that he was
already getting anxious as to the elfect of the
revolutionary movement in Persia on his own
position. He represented that the greater
part of Persia was completely out of control,
that the payment of revenue was being very
generally suspended by the local chiefs and
peasantry, and that, if he had only his present
and personal interests to consider, he was in a
strong position to refuse revenue, to turn out
the Belgian Customs, and to avail himself of
other openings in a similar direction, as oppor
tunity arose. So far from pursuing such a
policy, he claimed that he was neglecting these
convenient opportunities simply in order not
to injure his position w r ith the British Govern
ment. He begged once again for our constant
and vigilant solicitude for his best interests and
candid advice as to how he could best shape
his footsteps. Major Cox and Mr. McDouall
endeavoured to reassure and persuade him
that the line of conduct which he had hitherto
pursued was the correct one, and that per
severance in it would be best calculated to
enable the British Government to support his
interests.
With reference to the customs, the Sheikh
informed Mr. McDouall that when the British
Government persuaded him to accept the
customs arrangement the whole country
between Mohammerah and Lingah was wait
ing to see what action he w r ould take. The
firman under which the customs was established
at Mohammerah declares that the directorship
is vested in him; but that, as he had not the
necessary men, the Persian Government
would appoint a director and an assistant
and that the rest of the staff would be ap
pointed by the Sheikh in consultation with
them. The first directors carried out these
stipulations. They recommended men to him,
and he sanctioned their engagement; but they
gradually referred less and less to him, the last
director appointed one or two men without
consulting him, and the present one had made
sweeping changes in the staff without any
reference to him at all.