"الملف 73/7 V (D 38) وضع الكويت، والمعاهدة الأنجلو-تركية" [ظ‎‎٤‎٩] (٢١٦/١١١)

203
Foreign Office.
No. 467.
December 29th, 1913.
(56299-13.)
Sir,
I have received Your Excellency's telegram No. 619 of the 13th instant,
relative to the objections which Hakki Pasha anticipates that the Turkish Gov-
ernment will raise to the procedure laid down in article 2 of the proposed British
declaration to Kussia on the subject of the rights of police and jurisdiction to be
exercised by the Shatt-el-Arab Navigation Commission.
The question has been further discussed with Hakki Pasha, who argued
that the 2nd article of the proposed declaration to be made by His Majesty's Gov
ernment to Russia was an interpretation, in a sense contested by Turkey, of a mat
ter in dispute. Russia claimed the privileges in question, and Turkey did not
concede them " in principle ". W hy could not Russia, he asked, be satisfied with
a " general " declaration, such as the Anglo-Turkish one of October 21st, 1913,
to the effect that articles 7 and 8 of the Anglo-Turkish Convention of July 29th,
1913, did not affect the treaty rights of foreign Powers ?
His Highness was told in reply, firstly, that Russia would not be satisfied with
such a wording, because articles 7 and 8 of the Anglo-Turkish Convention were,
in her view, too specific to be neutralised by a declaration in general wording such
as that of October 21st, and it was quite clear that Russia would not pay the dues
unless she were satisfied by some declaration such as is proposed in the article to
which His Highness took exception.
Secondly, that His Majesty's Government entirely agreed with the Russian
Government in thinking that Turkey would have no right to object to the pro
cedure laid down in that article and, such being the case, and there being no
other means of securing payment of the dues by Russian ships, there could be
no objection to the proposed exchange of notes between the British and Russian
Governments.
I transmit to Your Excellency herewith a copy of a correspondence with His
Majesty's Embassy at St. Petersburgh and of a 'note to Hakki Pasha on the
subject.
I am, with great truth and respect,
Sir,
\our Excellency's most obedient, humble Servant,
His Excellency
The R'ght Honourable
Sir L. Mallet, K.C.M.G., C.B.,
etc., J etc., etc.
No. 56299-13.
Sir E. Grey presents his compliments to Hakki Pasha and has the honour to
ln Highness that His Majesty s Government propose to exchange notes
with the^Russian Government on the subject of the rights of police and jurisdic
tion to be exercised by the Shatt-el-Arab Navigation Commission.
Sir Edward Grey is convinced that the Russian Government would not be
satisfied with a general declaration, such as the Anglo-Turkish one of October 21st,