'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎7v] (19/310)

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Sir Arthur Hardinsje has addressed the Per
sian Government on both of the foregoing
matters.
J 30. Kerman. —His Majesty’s Consul is
on tour with the Commercial Mission, having
met it at Sirjan on the 26th November (vide
paragraph 20 of the Memorandum for Decem
ber), and has visited Zeidabad, Pariz, Gaud,
Ahmar, and Oraf to the west of Kerman.
On the 19th, the Mission was reported by tele
gram to be at Bam. The Mission has been well
received everywhere, except at Bandar Abbas,
where Mons. Cattersel, the Belgian customs
official, contrived to be obstructive.
31. Both at Bandar Abbas and at Sirjan
orders for goods have been sent by merchants,
as cholera appears to have died out. There
have been no new cases (vide paragraph i9
of the Memorandum for December).
32. The Yezd-Bandar Abbas-Kerraan
caravan road has long been in a disorderly
state. On the 21st January, Major Sykes
telegraphed that the situation was serious.
Robberies were occurring in tracts hitherto
immune; troops left unpaid; Baluchistan
already out of hand; and many districts
deserted owing to the oppression of the
brothers of the Ruku-ed-Dowleh, the Governor-
General. The Government of India have
telegraphed to the Ministry at Tehran suggest
ing that the opportunity is favourable for
urging the Persian Government to police the
caravan route efficiently and to restore order
in Persian Baluchistan.
33. Telegraphs. —A proposal is under dis
cussion for the immediate construction of a two-
wire line from Karachi, via Las Bela to Panjgur,
leaving for future settlement the question of the
route to be followed f^om Panjgur, whether to
Hurmak via Kohak and Mirjawa, or to Robat
by a line entirely within Indian territory. The
object of the extension is to deal efficiently
with the increasing traffic with Europe.
A. I REMANTLE,
Assistant {Secretary to the
Government of India.
Fort William ;
The 1st February 1905.