'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎29v] (63/310)

steamers plying between Basrah and Baghdad,
cargo is arriving at Baghdad more quickly
than it can be cleared away, and that Messrs.
Lynch & Co. have taken advantage ol this to
institute a land transport service between
Baghdad and Persia, via Kermanshah.
9. Luristan .—In connection with the
recent outrage on Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas
and Lieutenant Lorimer (vide paragrapii 11
of the Memorandum for May), it is understood
from recent reports that, owing to the dismis
sal of the Muzaffer-ul-Mulk from the Gov
ernorship of the province of Luristan, his
partisans planned the attack in order to throw
discredit on the incoming Governor, the
Perman Eermah.
10. The Eerman Eermah, in assuring Sir
A. Ilardinge of his friendliness towards the
English, expressed his intention of doing his
utmost to bring the affair to a satisfactory
conclusion, and stated that he was even prepar
ed to utilise 20,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. of his personal
property towards this end. He further stated,
however, that whichever way he moved he
found himself checked by some intrigue or
other of the Persian Government, owing to the
enmity existing between the Prime Minister
and himself, the object of the former being to
give the latter an insufficient force in order
that he may suffer defeat and consequent
disgrace. It is considered that the Eerman
Eermah is in an impossible position and can
do nothing against the Direkwand section of
the Lurs unless it be by treachery.
11. Bushire .—On the 8th June, tho
Secretary of State for India telegraphed in
regard to the Belgian Customs officials and
the British Post Office at Bushire (vide para
graph 13 of Memorandum for May) that His
Majesty’s Minister at Tehran ‘was being
authorised to conclude, in consultation with
the Government of India, an arrangement
with the Persian Government on the lines of
the procedure which is observed at Constanti
nople in regard to parcel mails from the
United Kingdom, and added that a report
on this latter system by the British Postmaster
at Constantinople was beinsr forwarded to
India.
^ ^ iae paragraph 14 of Memorandum
for May 190o.) It appears from a telegram
received by the merchants of Bushire from
those of Shiraz that they have suspended their
business owing to the harsh application of the
Aiticles of the Customs Reglement.
13. The Director-General of Customs is
reported to have told a leading merchant, for
the intormation of his friends, that their sroods
would be allowed to be cleared according to
the old system. The Director-General “was
told that the merchants were not prepared
to accept either the new taritf or the