'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎35r] (60/211)

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OUR TRADE WITH THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
and timber for ship-building from the West Coast of India. On the
land side it baiters with the Bedouins, who, during the winter and
spring, bring down ' rougban’, wool, and horses ; exchanging these
for coffee, rice, and other necessaries. The Bedouins have free
access to the town, on condition only of leaving their arms at the
gate, where the Chief Shaik and the Kadis sit daily to hear the news
superintend trade, and administer justice. A large dinner is prepared
daily in an allotted hall for the entertainment of strangers. The
currency at Koweit is a Maria Theresa dollar, Persian trans. and
Turkish copper coin. English sovereigns are occasionally to be found.
Bills can be obtained on Bussorah, Bushire, Bombay, and the Wahabi
capital [in Central Arabia]. The inhabitants, Jews included, enjoy
complete religious toleration. JVo taxes or duties are levied"
This was written some thirty years ago, and, of course, the
trade must have vastly increased, though we can kno\v , no
thing about it, owing to the want of a Consul there, and we are
not sure that it still continues a free port. At any rate
we should have a Consul or Vice-consul there.
It is not difficult to see why and how the Consular Service in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. has been entirely neglected and starved till
as it stands at present, it is merely nominal. Our presence
in the Gulf at first was entirely for trade purposes, and we may
presume that the same reasons account for our being there at
present. In those days our representatives were really and truly
“ Trade-masters,” or Consuls, as we may term them, and to
increase the trade was their first and great object, “ political”
matters being subsidiary to that. Curzon notices in his in
valuable work, that in 1822, a general review took place of
the various stations in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Factors and brokers
were henceforward denominated “ Residents,” and the entire
establishment was rendered a political charge. They were no
longer the employes of a Company ; but the billets were reserv
ed for favoured Indian Military officers ! And so it has come
to pass that these officers, who know little of trade, and care less
for it, and who absorb, in their enormous salaries, the pay of a
dozen or a score of Consuls, and are merely Political Officers
have completely left out of view the primary trade-import of
their appointments. And yet, as Mr. Curzon writes :— l< In
the fuiious commercial competition that now rages like a
hurricane through the world, the loss of a market is a retro
grade step that cannot be recovered ; the gain of a market
is a positive addition to the national strength.” As will be seen
from figures which we shall furnish hereafter, it is not quite
certain that British trade has really made any progress in
these parts for many years. At any rate, no other result than
that of checking the full and proper expansion of our trade
in the Persian Gulf—with Persia, Arabia, and Turkey, —can
be expected under the present anomalous and perverted con
dition of things.
*
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OUR TRADE WITH THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . 25
There are four military officers representing the Govern
ment of India—and not trade—from Muscat to Baghdad
and there may be five or six, if Military Surgeons ar? also’
counted ; and some of these are on receipt of £2,000 a year,
with other “ allowances.” For some of them there can be no
possible work of any kind. Considering the very reason of their
appointments—British trade—the merchants of London
Liverpool, Calcutta, Bombay, and Manchester may well feel
. ls S us t e d at this ‘‘ taking care of Doub”at the expense of their
interests ; and if they choose they can put the matter upon
its proper footing again, either through the Secretary of State
at home, or through the Viceroy of India. No more than one
‘Resident ’ is needed for the Gulf from Persian Beluchistan to
Baghdad, and one Assistant Resident at Muscat. Baghdad—a
much cooler place than Bushire—would be the summer quarters
of the Chief Resident, with Bushire and other places for the
winter, during \vhich, however, he should travel about. The
Consular Service ” should be entirely dissociated from the
Political, and, with the saving of the salaries of the three or four
Military officers not required, half-a-dozen European Vice-con
suls might be appointed, all woiking under and together with
the officer at Bushire, who should be a Consul” on an
adequate salary, and not an office assistant who is merely called
a Vice-consul and who receives u board allowance.” This
Consular Department should be directly responsible to the
Home Board of Trade, or the Bombay Government.
As stated above, our London and Liverpool, Calcutta and
Bombay, merchants have the remedy in their own hands. As
things exist at present, there can be no legitimate expan
sion of British trade ; only a huge u political ” excrescence
overshadowing it and benumbing it. Finally, there remains
the Karun River to notice. If it were really (and not as at pre
sent nominally) opened to trade—the Persian officers at Mo-
hommerah being appointed by the Persian Government with
the sole view to that, and the road beyond Shuster being made
—, then it would be one of the most valuable elements condu
cive to the prosperity of British trade in Persia. But though
a British Steamer Company is in existence there—hope
lessly fighting against Persian duplicity—. neither is there
the road required, nor do the Persian officials do any
thing except offer every kind of opposition—so much so,
that the scheme has not advanced a foot during the last three
years, even though we have a real Consular Officer there.
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