ملف ١٩٢٨/٢٠٠ الجزء ٨ "المفاوضات الأنجلو-فارسية" [ظ‎‎١‎٥‎٩] (١٠٩٦/٣٢٣)

the greatest pity that circumstances had rendered it impossible for you to H'
our relations with him at Geneva. I replied that I did not think he had a f? 8
to regret on that score, as, had such a conversation taken place, subsequent^
would only have made him ridiculous in the same manner as they had m H^ 8
I went on to say that matters had, if possible, been aggravated by the m ^ ^
which the Persian Government had trumpeted their action abroad andT^v 11
public rejoicings in the form of the decoration of the town and the illumin t' >
which I understood had been ordered for that night. Feroughi assured me 1 ^
with emotion, that no such orders had been given. ’ a most
6. A messenger then came in to say that another foreign Minister h H w
waiting some considerable time to keep an appointment. I therefore took m ^ ]
after Feroughi had once again expressed the hope that a friendly settlement u
be speedily reached and his reliance on my good offices, to which I reDlieJtlT
the action of the Persian Government made it impossible for me to advise F
Majesty’s Government to be conciliatory. til8
7. Almost immediately after the interview Mr. Jacks telephoned to tell m
that the police were removing or defacing the signboards of the company AT
reported by telegram, I immediately rang up Feroughi and demanded tha
immediate action be taken to put a stop to this. He lost no time in getting int
communication with the chief of police, who within two hours had notified the
company that he was taking the necessary steps to prevent anythino- 0 f the sort
I subsequently learnt from Mr. Jacks that the report had been somewhat
exaggerated, and that there had only been one case in which the police had
orders for the removal of a signboard. 1 glVen
8. With regard to the public rejoicings, the town was brilliantly
illuminated and decorated, if allowance be made for the limited resources at the
disposal of the population. Ihe method employed to ensure a satisfactory
measure of public enthusiasm was house-to-house visits by the police. My
chauffeur was actually in a shop when such a visit took place, and I also have first
hand evidence on the point from Mr. Aratoon, the Legation dispenser, who owns
a chemist s shop near by, and other sources. The occasion has been, moreover,
marked by orders to all cinemas that for three days the public are to be admitted
ree o all charge. Ihe spontaneous and unofficial nature of the reioicings has
been delicately emphasised by the fact that all public buildings have been left
severe ) undecorated. The fact that the first snow-storm of the year rather marred
the poulace 0118 185 ^ ^ e ^ eve ’ re £ ar ded as mildly ominous among some sections of
■ . ^curious, and I suppose characteristic, aspect of the situation is that
!' 1S ’ 6 mome ? 1 ^ widely believed among educated Persians that the cancella-
ioii o e concession is a deliberate piece of play-acting, the theory being that a
new agieement favourable to Persia, but prolonging the concession, has already
een signe , and that the apparently high-handed action of the Persian Govern-
through th^Ma’l’ 81 ^ 116 ^ ensu,e smoot h passage of the new agreement
10. I learn that Dr. Friedlieb, a highly intelligent American Jew, nowhere
^“ 10n Wlt ^ t ie P ro P ose d export monopoly, holds similar views, his variant
•nirt a ^ l e n me - nt k as ^ een reac hed on the basis of a 24 per cent, royalty,
pnmr.cif e cancellation of the concession was accepted by the directors of the
in this dinfinution 11 ^ th" • meail ^°^ ensur i n g the acquiescence of the shareholders
thp ^ aC ^ S ^ 1 ? jS ! earnt frpm the Administrator-General of Customs that
antWiHpcti the Minister of Finance what attitude the customs
such nnpoHm ° U ^ ac ^ 0 P l t ’ a result of the cancellation of the concession, towards
answe^* was tw^ t0 duty-free importation of the company's stores. The
answer was that everything was to go on exactly as before.
Government ^fT!] ng of this despatch to the Foreign Secretary to the
Persian Pnlf ft ^ 240 >’ the Hon. the Political Resident in the
and o His f Bush J re ( No - 207), the acting British consul, Ahwaz (No. 8a),
and to His Majesty s Ambassador at Bagdad (No. 119).
I have, &c.
R. H. HOARE.