Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎156v] (312/442)

1985
Supply (Committee).
Foreign Office. 198G
HOUSE OF COMMONS
[Sir E. Grey.]
groups they need not necessarily be in op
posing diplomatic camps. Our relations
with the German Government at present
are excellent. We are perfectly frank with
each other about all questions of mutual
interest, and I believe that when questions
come up, whether they be, for instance,
in connection with our respective interests
in South Africa or whether they be in con
nection eventually with the Baghdad Rail
way, both Governments are convinced that
their mutual interests can be perfectly
reconciled. I conclude by saying that
whatever separate diplomatic groups there
are, as has been recognised in the official
communique which I read, I do not think
that ought to prevent frankness and ex
change of views when questions of mutual
interest arise, and if that takes place sepa
rate diplomatic groups need not necessarily
be in opposing diplomatic camps.
Colonel YATE : After the exhaustive and
interesting speech we have just heard,
there is little that anyone else can say, but
I should like to say one or two words con
nected with Persia. I cannot agree that
all danger to us regarding the arms traffic
in Muscat has been removed. We are bur
dened with a large annual expenditure in
keeping up our Naval brigade there, and I
can see no prospect at present of it being
reduced. I should like to endorse what
was said by my Noble Friend (Earl of
Ronaldshay) as to what I may call the ex
treme lukewarmness which has been shown
towards us for many years by our French
friends in all the difficulties we have in
Muscat, and to express my Avonder that,
with all the rest of Europe willing to help
us in this matter, they should be the one
Power to stand in our way. I am aston
ished, too, at the lukewarmness on the part
of Russia to recognise the strength of our
commercial interests in Southern Persia.
I cannot join in what Avas said by the hon.
Member (Mr. Dillon) in his panegyric of
the present GoA r ernment of Presia. Let us
think for a moment what the real state of
Persia is under the present Nationalist
Government, We see in Persia dis
honesty and official corruption prevail
ing on every side and worse now than
when it came in. The central Govern
ment—the Nationalist GoA^ernment—is
especially corrupt. Cabinet changes are
continuous and men succeed one another,
but the same type of man continually
seems to be reproduced, and the posses
sion of power under this Nationalist Goa^-
ernment seems to bring temptation, and
one after another of these Ministers seems
to fall in the same Avay as their predeces
sors have fallen before them. The situa
tion in Persia noAV is that there is no
money to carry on the Government and no
money can be procured for the Govern
ment, except by foreign loans. At pre
sent, so far as I hear from Persia, there is.
hardly any money whatever coming into
the central Treasury. Whatever taxes
are collected are eaten up by the Provin
cial Governments, and if money was re
ceived by a foreign loan it would also be
eaten up by the central Government, un
less indeed the expenditure of the money
was to be administered under foreign
supervision. Persia at present, it must be
acknowledged by all, cannot stand alone.
Persian independence in that respect is a
myth and a fiction, and unless Persia is
helped and controlled by her neighbours
she must go to pieces. If it Avere not for
Russia and England Persia would have
gone to pieces long ago.
I well remember years ago, Avhen I Avas
in camp on the Persian and Afghan fron
tier, talking one night with the Afghan
Guards around me, and I remember the
Afghans telling me instances of the arrog
ance on the part of the Persian frontier
officials, and there is no official in the
AA^orld Avho can be so arrogant as the Per
sian official Avhen the safety of his own
skin is not concerned. I remember one
man in particular winding up by saying,
if it was not for you and the Russians
Ave would take theAvhole place to-morroAv
and there is not the slightest doubt about
it, that if they so willed they could and
Avould take Persia to-morroAv. If it Avere
not for England and for Russia, Persia at
this moment would be over-run bj 7 ' the
Afghans from the East and by the Turks
on the West. Only the other day Ave
had the Persians appealing to us to help
them against some raid or irruption of
Afghans on the East, and, as Ave all knoAv,
the Russian GoA T ernment had to move its
troops up into the North-West and help
the Persians to make a stand against an
irruption of Turkish troops in that part
of the country. Persia cannot stand alone
and there is nothing on earth but the Anglo-
Russian Agreement which will save Persia
from coming to pieces at any moment. So
helpless is she at present that Ave see that
the Persian Regent after a two years’
struggle against the prevailing corruption
and dishonesty has given it up in despair
and left the country. There is practically
at present no Persian Government worth