"سكة حديد بغداد" [و‎‎٤] (١٢٩/٧)

[This Document is the Praperty of Hie Britannic Majesty’s Government]
PERSIA AND ARABIA.
[August 21.j
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section i.
No. 1.
The Marquess of Lansdowne to Mr. des Graz.
(No. 77. Confidential.)
Sir, Foreign Office, August 21, 1902,
I HAD the honour of being received by His Imperial Majesty the Shah at
Marlborough House this morning. His Highness the Atabeg-i-Azam was present
throughout the conversation.
His Imperial Majesty began by a pleasing reference to the visit which he had
paid to the King at Portsmouth yesterday, and to the cordiality of his reception. He
expressed his earnest desire that the relations between Persia and Great Britain should
continue to be of the most friendly character. I assured His Imperial Majesty that
this feeling was reciprocated here, and that the new Prime Minister, Mr. Balfour, was
personally anxious that the traditional friendship of this country for Persia should be
maintained.
His Imperial Majesty observed that, in his opinion, we were in the habit of
attaching too much importance to mere rumours repeated to us by our Agents, and
that we allowed such rumours to affect our attitude towards his Government. I
replied that we fully realized the necessity of accepting all such rumours with reserve.
We were, however, sometimes placed in a difficulty owing to the fact that statements
were telegraphed from Persia and were repeated both in the public press and in
Parliament, which we were not always able to deal with or to refute. I therefore
attached the greater importance to our being in a position to speak confidently as to
the attitude and intentions of the Persian Government. I mentioned, as a case in
point, the information which reached us with regard to the new Persian Tariff, and I
expressed to His Imperial Majesty my satisfaction at the assurance which had been
given me on the ISth instant by his Highness the Atabeg-i-Azam, from whom I had
learned that before the revised duties were finally approved, we should be given a full
opportunity of discussing with the Persian Government the manner in which the new
Tariff w T ould affect our commerce. His Imperial Majesty observed that wo were
treating him somewffiat unkindly in regard to the tariff question. e did not realize
that it was absolutely necessary for him to add to the resources ol his Government,
and that for this reason he had no choice but to increase the duties.
I begged His Imperial Majesty to understand that we readily admitted that in
such a case an increase of the Customs Tariff was a natural step to take. M c had,
ourselves, lately found it necessary to increase taxation of this kind. All that we
desired Tvas that the new Tariff should not in effect discriminate against us. His
Majesty observed that if his duties were adjusted so as to meet the convenience of any
particular Power, that would be “favouritism, and w’ould pro>oke legitimate com
plaint. I assured His Imperial Majesty that we did not desire any special favour but
merely practical equality, and I asked permission to reserve wdiat I had to say on this
point for discussion with the Atabeg. •
His Imperial Majesty then asked me whether he was to understand that His
Majesty’s Government desired to recognize the independence of Persia. I said
that the recognition of the independence of Persia had always been a cardinal
point in our policy. We adhered as strongly as ever to that policy, which we had
repeatedly affirmed. Our special concern was, of course, with the southein paif
of Persia and with the Persian Gulf, and we should, if occasion arose, put foith
the w T hole of our strength in order to prevent encroachments by other Powers in
these regions.
At the close of the conversation His Imperial Majesty remarked that, as \ve
were in the habit of appointing British “ Consuls ” on the Persian frontier in districts
where British officers had not hitherto been employed, it was necessary that such
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