'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. PART I - The Persian Gulf.' [‎5v] (15/92)

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by the “ Viedomosti.** Hero an attempt was made in February 1900 to estab
lish a Russian coal dep6t on shore by the landing of an artificially arranged
surplus of coal from the Russian gun-boat “ Gilyak the Persian Deputy
Governor, however, encouraged possibly by the presence of H. M. 8. “ Poraone ”
which had been sent to shadow the “ Gilyak ”, refused to permit the opera
tion. The coal was accordingly transferred to native boats and was afterwards
deposited in a Persian Government building where it has since remained. Sub
sequently to this incident visits were paid to Bunder Abbas by various Russian
officials, but direct action was not again attempted. There is reason to think
that after 1900 the eye of Russia was fixed not on Bunder Abbas but on
Chahbar, a port of Persian Mekran, which was the principal objective of a
Russian railway survey of Southern Persia carried out in 1900. Though Koweit,
Bunder Abbas and Chahbar were each in succession the pivot of Russian
policy in the Gulf, some interest was also shown by Russian officials and
travellers in Persian Arabistan, Oman, Bahrein and even Central Arabia;
but it does not appear that the designs of Russia in those countries were
serious, unless possibly in Arabistan where it is believed that strong efforts
were made by the Russians in 1900-02 to obtain control of the Mohammerah
customs.
Clearer evidence of the general intentions of Russia was afforded by the
Russian railway survey. Il " ssi,m rai ! n ’ a y V' 1 ™? of 1900 , to which
reference has just been made. This
survey was carried out by a mission which assembled at Tehran and in the
course of three months reconnoitred four different routes from Isfahan to the
sea, terminating respectively at Mohammerah, Bushire, Bunder Abbas and
Chahbar. The leader of the Chahbar party was Captain Rittich of the
Russian General Staff, a well known authority in Russia on the subject of rail
ways in Persia; and the result of the labours of the mission was
the development of a scheme, admirably conceived in its political
and strategical bearings, for the construction of a Russian railway from
Resht by Tehran and Isfahan to Kerman and Bampur and thence to Chahbar
bay.
The indirect means used by Russia to improve her position in the Gulf
indirect establishment of Russian in- next claim attention; they consisted prin-
? uence - . cipally in naval demonstrations, in an
increase of the Russian consular staff, and in the subsidisation of Russian com
merce.
The first Russian ship of war sent to the Gulf in pursuance of political
Visits of Russian war-vessels. aims was the “ Gilyak ”, whose proceed
ings at Bunder Abbas have already been
noted. The " Gilyak ” continued her cruise to Bushire and thence to Basrah,
where her arrival was made the occasion of a great official display by the
Russian consular authorities; from Basrah she returned down the Gulf, calling
at Koweit and Bushire. The second demonstration was made in 1901 by the
Russian cruiser “ Varyag ” which visited Maskat and Busbire and returned
southwards by Lingah and Bushire. The Russian flag was shown in the Gulf
for the third time by the cruiser “ Askold ” whose formidable aspect made a
serious impression at the ports where she called, including Maskat, Koweit,
Lingah and Bunder Abbas. A fourth tour was made by the Russian cruiser
“ Boyarin ” in company with the French war vessel “ Infernet ” ; these ships
visited Maskat, Bushire, Koweit and Lingah together, and the cruise was evi
dently intended as an illustration of united action. Excessive pomp and
ceremony characterised the proceedings of all these vessels while in Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
waters.
In 1897 a Russian Consulate»General had been established at Isfahan for
Ruseian consular establishments. purely political purposes not unconnected
with the affairs of the Gulf, and in the
same year a specially selected officer was appointed to the Russian Consulate-
General at Baghdad from similar motives. These arrangements were supple
mented by the creation in 1899 of a Russian Consulate at Basrah, in 1901 of a
Russian Consulate-General at Busbire which was provided with a-omard of
Russian Cossacks, and in 1902 of a Russian Consular Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Arabistan. In
1897 two Russian doctors had been sent “ to study plague” at Busbire, and
since then one or more Russian medical representatives have resided continu
ously at that place.