ملف رقم ٩٤٨ لسنة ١٩٠٩ "بلاد فارس: الوضع في الجنوب؛ حالة الطرق. الهجوم على السيد بيل. برنامج حرس الطرق". [و‎‎١‎٤‎٦] (٧٤٤/٢٩٦)

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PERSIA. [August 8.]
Confidential. Section 2.
[28326] No. 1.
Cnr Edward Grey to Sir A. Nicolson.
(No. 219.)
Sir, Foreign Office, August 8, 1910.
IN my telegram No. 410 of the 28th ultimo, I requested your Excellency to
propose to the Russian Government that the representatives of the two Powers at
Tehran should be furnished with instructions to make to the Persian Government a
strong joint representation as to the state of insecurity prevailing on the trade routes
in Persia, and I now transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty’s
charge d’affaires in that country, giving an account of the situation which renders such
a step imperative,* and suggesting that the Persian Government should be informed
that, if order on these roads is not restored by the end of September, His Majesty’s
Government will themselves undertake to perform that duty.
I further transmit copy of a letter to the India Office,! which will make clear to
your Excellency the reasons for which, while entirely concurring in Mr. Marling’s view
as to the necessity of a representation, I am reluctant to commit His Majesty’s
Government to a policy of intervention on the scale proposed, but prefer, as suggested
by Sir G. Barclay, to insist, in the first instance, on the formation of a body of road-
guards, in the^hope that this measure may prove sufficient to attain the object in
view.
Finally, I enclose copy of the reply of the India Office,f showing that that
department concur in this latter proposal, and are willing, on certain financial conditions,
to lend to the Persian Government officers of the Indian army should their services be
required for the organisation of this force.
I have to request your Excellency to explain to the Russian Government the
nature of the scheme, and to propose to them that, when making the representation
suggested in my telegram above referred to, the tw r o representatives should insist on its
acceptance by the Persian Government.
I am, &c.
E. GREY.
* Mr. Marling, No. 114, July 2, 1910. f To India Office, July 20, 1910.
X India Office, August 4, 1910.
[2854 h —2]