"الملف 73/7 II (D 22) وضع الكويت - سكة حديد بغداد، والمفاوضات الأنجلو تركية" [ظ‎‎١‎٧‎٥] (٥٤٠/٣٥٦)

4
ment, His Majesty's Government are not seeking territorial aggrandisement, nor are
they embarking upon any new developments of policy. Their desire is simply to
secure the recognition and to ensure the continuance of an order ^ of things which, in
fact, grew up under their auspices and before the appearance of iurkish authority in
the Persian Gulf, and which has been proved by experience to favour the development,^-
of trade and the maintenance of peace in a region which, but for long-sustained British
intervention, would have remained the scene of continual piracy and. bloodshed.
16. They feel persuaded that the Ottoman Government will not oppose the
continuance of the political status quo of a hundred years, and they look^ forward
confidently to a complete adjustment of the questions enumerated, and to the improved
relations which cannot fail to ensue.
17. As the Ottoman Government are aware, there is a question which has caused
some concern to His Majesty's Government in recent months, that of the frontier
between Turkey and Persia in the region of Mohammerah, ^ hen His Majesty s
Government addressed their memorandum of July 1911 to the Ottoman Government
that question had been dormant for sixty years, and His Majesty's Government had
no desire to raise it. Now however that it has been raised, by circumstances beyond
their control, they feel that no settlement in the Persian Gulf could be complete
which did not provide for this question, and they regard a satisfactory adjustment of
Memo- it as an essential part of the present negotiations. They have the honour to
randum submit a separate memorandum on the subject for the consideration of the Ottoman
(A nnex o). ,
7 Government.
(hi.) An increase feem- li pe? te 15 eetrt. yalofeia in the Turkish
customs duties,
18. If the Ottoman Government are prepared to conclude an agreement in the
sense of this memorandum, and to concur in the removal of the existing veto on the
borrowing powers of Egypt, then, subject to the assent of the other Powers, His
Majesty's Government will consent to the fwetfee? iaeseas© ef tfee Turkish ettetenas fe? a
ef se-vea yeats feem Ajwil i Q-i-ij? a»4 tfeey wiii alse agfee te the eeatkmed levy ef 4k©
3 pe? cent. increase fef a eiBaila^ maintenance for a period of
seven years, counting from six months after the date of such agreement, of the increase
in the general rate of customs duty leviable on British goods on importation into the
Ottoman Empire from 8 per cent, to 11 per cent, ad valorem which was agreed to in
1907, and also to the further increase of this general rate of customs duty from 11 per
cent, to 15 per cent, ad valorem for the same period.
Foreign Office, July 18, 1912.
o