'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎130v] (265/310)

2
KHORASAN.
Meshed .—Reports show that the feeling
between the Muhammadans and Armenians
still runs high, and that a renewal of rioting
and fighting may take place any day. The
British Consul-General and his staff have
done their best to maintain peace by inter
viewing the leading priests and shrine officials
and extracting from them promises to preach
in condemnation of anti-Christian hostilities.
The Russians endangered the situation by de
manding that the question of compensation for
the damage caused by the riots of last March
should be settled by the Governor-General of
Khorasan, and the amount paid in Meshed.
The Governor-General pointed out to the
Tehran officials that payment of compensation
at Meshed would probably lead to a fresh out
break, and he urged that the matter should be
settled at Tehran : in this he is supported by
the British Consul-General and the British
Legation at Tehran.
The British Minister, Sir Arthur Hardinge,
arrived at Meshed, en route to England, on the
1st September, and had a most cordial recep
tion. He exchanged calls with the Russian
Consular and Belgian Customs officials, and
the leading Persian administrative and shrine
officials. On the 5th September, a reception
in honour of the Minister was held at the
British Consulate-General, at which the British
Indian community was fully represented. An
address was presented to the Minister by
British Indian merchants, asking for certain
commercial facilities, and Sir A. Hardinge
promised to address the Government of India
on the subject. The Minister left Meshed on
the 11th September, and was accompanied
to the Russian frontier by Major Sykes.
Captain H. Smyth, Military Attache,
having proceeded to England on short leave, his
place has been taken temporarily by Captain
E. A. F. Redl, LA. r
Sanction of the Persian Government to the
importation of a reserve of arms for the British
Consulates at Seistan and Mbshed has not yet
been obtained (see last Journal); but at the
recommendation of the Government of India,
His Majesty’s Government have instructed the
British Legation at Tehran to press the pro
posal, and to assure the Persian Government
that, in the event of their consenting, the in
troduction of the arms will be conducted with
the least possible publicity.
On the 16th October, Major Sykes telegraph
ed that he had received secret information that
the Rais-ut-Tujjar had sold the Meshed-Aska-
bad road to Russia for one hundred thousand
tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . His Britannic Majesty’s Charge