File 3615/1913 Pt 2 'Persian Gulf - Lease of Isands (& Muin ut Tujjar's Concession)' [‎38r] (43/344)

[This Document is the Property-of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
PERSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA.
. -i
I
j.
CONFIDENTIAL
i-n b 6
(tv
[December 14.J
Section 4. *
4*
V
i82297]
No. 1.
Sir W. Townley to Sir Edward Grey.—[Received December 14.)
(No. 270.)
Sir, Tehran, November 12, 1914.
I MUCH regret to Lave to report that the recent progress of the negotiations for
the purchase of the islands in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. off Bunder Abbas have been most
unsatisfactory in their results, which is especially disheartening seeing that the
proposal, when first submitted to the late Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yossuk-ed-
Dowleh, to the present Prime Minister, Mustaufi-ul-Mamalek, and to the present
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ala-es-Sultaneh, appeared to meet with a much more
favourable reception than I had anticipated would be the case.
Upon receipt of your telegram No. 252 of the 7th ultimo, I presented a
memorandum in French to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, of which I have the
honour to enclose a copy, setting forth the very favourable conditions upon which His
Majesty’s Government was prepared to negotiate for the purchase of the said islands.
Nothing in the manner in which Ala-es-Sultaneh received the memorandum led
me to suppose that there was any change in his Highness’s attitude towards the
proposal, and I was promised an early answer, for which I pressed in consequence of
fhe urgent nature of certain financial arrangements which the Persian Government
found itself called upon to make in order to avoid a disaster.
No answer having been returned to the memorandum, I sought an interview with
the. Prime Minister, at which 1 requested the presence also of the Ministers for Foreign
Affairs and Finance, for the purpose of examining the financial situation with a view to
seeing whether or not the gendarmerie could be maintained ; in order to discuss the
proposal made by the Persian Government respecting the revenues of the southern
customs and a new advance from the British and Russian Governments, which forms
the subject of an accompanying despatch; and to ascertain definitely the views of the
Cabinet respecting the sale of the islands.
1 pointed out that you, Sir, could not fail to be disappointed, if not seriously
annoyed, at the attitude adopted by the Government in ignoring our proposal to
provide money in return for something tangible in the place of the usual shadowy
promises that have been accepted in the past, and in -making instead a most unreason
able proposal without, on this occasion, even attempting to hint at any security for the
suggested advance. As it was evident that the Minister of Finance was at the back of
the group in the Cabinet that is hostile to the purchase proposal, I turned my attention
more especially to that notoriously corrupt official, and told him in very plain language
that as long as a Minister of his calibre remained at the head of the financial
administration, Persia need not expect that any money would be forthcoming from either
Great Britain or Russia. I let Mohtesham-es-Sultaneh know clearly that I am. fully
conversant with the intrigues of himself and his secretary-general, by means of which
they hope to sow discord among their Belgian employes and so to get a larger control
of the finances of the country into their own hands, the road from which to their
pockets is a short one.
I then turned to the Prime Minister and told his Highness that I could not submit
this fresh unreasonable proposal for financial assistance to you, Sir, unless I could add
at the same time that the Cabinet was considering in a favourable spirit the
proposal I had submitted for the purchase of the islands. Mustaufi-ul-Mamalek,
after some hesitation, which was not unnatural seeing that the proposal had previously
been well entertained by him, said that the scheme was one that was of such vital
importance to Persia, since it concerned the sale of a portion of her territory, that the
Government could not deal with it without the presence of the Medjliss, which would
meet in a very short time.
I then pressed the Prime Minister to give me an assurance that the measure would
be laid before the Medjliss as soon as it assembled and would receive the strong
support of the Cabinet. Mustaufi-ul-Mamalek would not commit himself to this, and
said that he must consult his colleagues, two of the most important of whom were
[2318 o—4]