'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.' [‎118v] (241/386)

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14. In July 1901, an official of the Persian Government, styling himself a
doctor, but understood to have no medical qualifications, arrived m Seistan
and gave out that he was to establish quarantine against India and the Afghan
frontier. On the protest of the British Consul, the Hashmat-ul-Mulk made a
reference to Tehran and meanwhile issued a notice that Uiero was no quaran
tine against India. In spite, however, of this declaration on the part of the
Governor, the so-called doctor proceeded, at the instigation of the Russian Consul,
to act in a way which showed that the main object of his employment was to
menace the trade route, and Afghan caravan men were fumigated with sulphur
to the verge of asphyxiation, while dues were exacted from travellers by
this individual under the pretext that he was a Customs official. Por this olfence
the Belgians demanded his removal, but M. Miller, the Russian Consul, pro
cured his pardon and induced the doctor to apply to Meshed for I ersian
Cossacks to be located on the trade route between Kila Robat and beistan.
Colonel Trench, Consul-General in Khorasan, protested and the Governor
agreed to substitute another doctor, but the promise was not carried out until
July 1902 The new official w ? as well disposed and worked harmoniously with
the British Consul, but in May 1903 he was removed by the Persian Govern
ment and replaced by another doctor, serving directly under the orders of the
Yamin-i-Nizam, the Persian Commissioner in the Seistan Arbitration and
special frontier officer who was himself entirely in the hands of the Russian
Consulate. Meanwhile in August 1902, when the ew-Atabeg was in London,
Lord Lansdowne spoke to him on the subject, pointing out the objections enter
tained by the Government of India to the presence of the sanitary cordon
which from its very nature —100 miles inland from the frontier could
not be effective. The <?.r-Atabeg replied that he was making efforts for
its withdrawal. Put in February 1903, the Russian officers at Turbat-i-
Haidari and Karez gave out that they were about to build quarters for
themselves and their staff. This renewed attempt of the Russians to establish
their line permanently w'as clearly only a political move, one aim of which was
to compel Afghans to trade direct with Russia instead of w ith lersia.
15. Considerable correspondence between the Government of India
and IIis Majesty’s Government followed, the former urging that strong pro
tests should be * made to the Russian and Persian Governments. On the
1st July 1903, a note on the subject w'as addressed by His Majesty’s Gov
ernment to the Russian Ambassador in London showing the uselessness of the
cordon from a sanitary point of view and drawing attention \o the fact that,
its withdrawal had been repeatedly pressed for by the Persian Government.
On the 16th July the Russian Ambassador made a communication to Lord
Lansdowne to the effect that the Russian Government declined to withdraw
the quarantine cordon, basing their contention on the ground that the A r enice
Convention did not apply to the case in point, and that there was a danger of
plague being introduced the trade routes which converge in North-East
Persia. In defence of British interests, His Mejesty’s.Government accordingly
decided in August 1903 to post a Consul at Turbat i-Haidari, whose duty it
would be to watch and report on the conduct of the Russian officials attached
to the various quarantine posts at Turbat and neighbouring places ; to take
such steps as might be possible to prevent any flagrant abuses on the part of the
Russians ; to help British Indian and Afghan traders and to see that no un
necessary interference with them was permitted. Captain C. B. Winter, accom
panied by an officer of the Indian Medical Service and an escort of 25 sowars,
with a native officer assumed charge of the appointment in January 1904.
About the same time there were rumours that the Russians intended to follow
this example and appoint a Consul at Turbat-i-Haidari, where they already
had a Russian officer, but nothing further w’as heard during Lord Curzon’s
Viceroyalty.
16. The sphere of Belgian activity was not confined to purely Customs
and quarantine measures. Arrangements
The Passport system. for the issu0 of passports wcre SO on placed
in their charge, and became in their hands a source of annoyance and a means
of obstruction. In 1900, the Persian Government had prescribed a passport