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Coll 30/58 'Persian Gulf. Anglo-Persian Relations. Persian insult to British flag at Basidu' [480r] (964/1186)
The record is made up of 1 file (589 folios). It was created in 3 Aug 1933-31 Jan 1934. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
ante Paper,
^>2 S™ 0
political Department.
1212 5(,C0 9.32
The Secretary of State has seen the
telegrams on this subject up to Tehran telegram of
14th August, No. 173. On receiving the departmental
note indicating the action which an interdepartmental
committee, consisting of tiie Foreign Office,
Admiralty and
India Office
The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.
, had decided to recommend
in the light of that telegram, he noted that he
wished to he kept informed, and that "we must not
allow the Charge d'Affaires at Tehran to he weak."
As will he seen, that conference took the l
view that Colonel Loch was asking for rather too much
in suggesting that the "Palang" should he required
to rehoist the flag at Basidu and salute it with
ai guns. Nor did it think that anything was to he
gained hy referring the incident to the League or
trying to bring pressure on Persia in respect of it
either at the League or in the Arms Traffic
Conference.. It had no very decided view about the
Resident’s proposal that we should threaten to shadow
Persian ships. On the other hand, Mr. Mallet’s line,
as set out in Tehran telegram of 14th August, No. 173,
was thought to he too weak.
3. Hie meeting therefore agreed, subject to
the approval of higher authority, that Mr. tellet
might he instructed to
(a) protest vigorously and demand
(h) an apology
(c) dismissal or other adequate
punishment of the officer
responsible.
(d) a ceremonial reparation in view of the
importance of meeting the Arab
reactions. 4/
Pn
s
About this item
- Content
This file contains correspondence between British diplomatic and naval officials concerning an incident on 31 July 1933 when four Persian naval officers landed at Basidu (a naval station on Qishm island used by Britain) and took down the British flag in the presence of witnesses including an Italian and a Frenchman. Subsequently, a Royal Navy vessel arrived at the station and the British flag was re-hoisted.
The correspondence discusses the details of the incident itself, its aftermath and its impact on Britain's relations with the Government of Iran. It also covers what steps were taken to 'restore British prestige in the eyes of the Gulf Arabs', including details regarding the dispatch of a royal navy flotilla to the region.
In addition to correspondence, the file also contains the following:
- Relevant press cuttings regarding the incident and Britain's response (folios 78, 169, 311 and 364)
- Copy of a circular clarifying the sequence of events in Basidu that was issued by the British authorities in the Gulf (folio 11)
- 'Copy of a note dated the 14th August 1933, from the Head Clerk, H.B.M.'s Consulate, Bandar Abbas, regarding a conversation which recently took place between the Governor of Bandar Abbas and the Consulate Mirza' (folio 255)
- 'Basidu Incident' a summary of events written by J V Creagh, Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (folios 329-331)
- 'Extract from Cabinet Conclusions dated 5th September 1933 - Relations with Persia, Basidu Incident' (folios 370-376)
- 'Legal Status of Basidu' (folios 398-399)
- 'Cabinet: Relations with Persia - Basidu Incident. Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty' (folios 413-415)
- Cabinet Memorandum regarding Basidu Incident (folios 416-417)
- 'Foreign Office Memorandum for submission to the Cabinet on the subject of the Flag Incident at Basidu' (folios 435-440)
- A small sketch map marking the boundaries of 'British Basidu' (folio 536).
The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (589 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 591; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3775
- Title
- Coll 30/58 'Persian Gulf. Anglo-Persian Relations. Persian insult to British flag at Basidu'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:77v, 79r:168v, 170r:310v, 312r:363v, 365r:590v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence