'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎52v] (109/386)

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11 j* i nrimtlior though it mishtbo impossible
23. The question was then ^e ^ pat o r0nage and development
to conclude an agreement "ith 1 - arran o. e for a 1 recognition of British and
of Persia, yet it miglit be PC^> 1 ‘ omini( = s of the shah, on lines analogous to
Russian spheres of interest m , i anc [ Russia as to spheres of interest
the agreement concluded betwe ^ o agreement might he equally extended
in relation to railways m China, ouen a,^ ^ onomic undertaUingS) an d would
to mines, roads, and otbc 'L ‘\.. i l in fl ue ncealso, even thougli not expressly
to a certain degree extend to P^'^l ^“te wake of railways and trade that
mentioned, as in eastern counti _ across Persia would have to
political influence is “-t apt to follm- ^ e n a s , t wou , d
he drawn so as to include Knshan and heistanin me it t
ho manifestly difficult to arrive atanengaoment ^ i.^ ^ line> sjn(;e
should be exercised by either party on tl . 1 P iti , esentatiTes either at
would be out of ^bo t l v l^ S ^p 0 ndlnohjectIon^vould no dimht be felt
Tehran, Tabriz or Meshed, f ln 'c corresponding^^^ ^ Hmited to vai | way and
hy the Russian Government. B • im-aUip^vnino The following difficuR
commercial exploitation would lave consii ^ were t | len discussed.
Thelirie proposed^was not altogether assisted by geographical conditions, Seistan
cressure exercised by the Russian Government would become overwhelm mg, the
Shah would tend more and more to become a Russia,i puppet, and Northern 1 'ersia
a Russian proconsulate. The fate of such institutions as the Imperial Rank of
Persia and the Indo-European Telegraph Department would he more than
doubtful, the weight, and influence of Russia throughout Central Asia "ould be
increased and the ultimate result might be the permanent break-up t
Persian kingdom. Nor would this policy prevent Russia from approaching
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. via Raghdad, or other countries from attempting to acquire the
position in Southern Persia from which Russia had debarred hersel . u,
while not sanguine of success, the Government of Lord Curzon expressed them
selves of opinion that the experiment was worthy ot being male, in the irtere>t
both of Persia itself, and still more of harmony between the two great Powers,
upon whose relations the peace of Asia depends. Such a contract, ei en i no
of perpetual duration, would he of immense value in the respite afloided from
the strAin of an otherwise ceaseless rivalry and in the opportunity presented o
a peaceful consolidation of existing interests.
24 Should, however, the endeavour to arrive at an understanding with
Russia’fail, then it would still be possible to fall back upon the alternative
policy recommended by Sir M. Durand which was that we should plainly
intimate that any Russian encroachments in Northern Persia would piovoke
corresponding measures for the protection of British interests m the sout i.
25. The despatch then turned to the increase of the Consular establishments
in Persia Lord Curzon recommended that Consular representatives should )e
appointed at Kermanshah, Ahwaz and Bunder Abbas, that Kerman should be
made a permanent Consulate, that a Native Agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. should be posted to Bampur
and Seistan and that a British officer should be sent to the latter place it the
rumoured nomination of a Russian Consul turned out true. The principle on
which the cost should be met by Great Britain or India was then discussed.
2G. On examination of the cost of the various establishments maintained
by the British Government in Persia, it was shown that the Imperial Govern
ment spent £15,460 and the Government of India £61,052 per annum, or, if
Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. were included in the calculation, the totals amounted to,
a™** Uri+c^n rq 1 ?. Trulin. £71.056. contributions which did not at all fairly
the Government of India, be borne in mind in distributing such charges between
Great Britain and India, namely, (1) either the entire charges might be added,
together and divided in certain proportions between the Imperial and Indian
Exchequers, or (2) the spheres in Persia of special concern either to Her Majesty s