"مذكرة بشأن الحدود بين المحمرة وتركيا". [ظ‎‎٦] (٨٢/١٢)

8
me was that the claims of Turkey to the left bank
of the Shatt-el-Arab and to Mohammerah were well
founded
I consequently proposed in my scheme, as a fair
compromise, that the new frontier-line should be drawn
through the desert country to the west of llawizah, at
some distance from the Shatt-el-Arab, across the Haffar,
and midway down the delta to the sea
My sue -e -estion, approved and adopted by Sir [ Note .—This extract, written over forty years
' W T ^ AVkPrrlppn later, conveys a mistaken impression of the corre-
Btratford Canning, was submitted by Lord Aberdeen spondence ^ In regard to Mohammerah, Sir S.
to the Russian Government, which declined to accede Canning's recommendations ivej-e approved, with
t o it, and not only uphold the claim, of Pcraia to
Mohammerah and the left bank of the Shatt-el-Aiab t rfta ty. On other points of the frontier, e.g.,
Irom the Haffar to the sea, but insisted upon the cession Zohab, his Excellency's views did not so fully
to her of territory on its east bank (i .e., left bank), P 16 ^ 1 '- A - 1 •]
which she had not even claimed
Lord Aberdeen, who was desirous of deferring to
Russia, accepted her views and instructed Sir Stratford
Canning to recommend them to the Porte. He sent for
me after the arrival of Lord Aberdeen s despatch to this
effect Without saying a word he handed me
the despatch. I read it, and remarked that I was
deeply grieved to find that Lord Aberdeen had come
to a decision which, in my opinion, was not consistent
with justice and right, and was not in the interests of
England. He requested me to draw up an answer to
Lord Aberdeen's despatch pointing out the objections
to the arrangement proposed by Russia, the injustice
that would be done to the Porte, and the discredit that
would fall upon England as a mediator it she showed
so flagrant a spirit of partiality to Pei'sia.
I wrote the draft of a despatch in this sense, which
was adopted by Sir Stratford Canning. But it failed
to produce the desired effect, and nothing remained to
him but to carry out the instructions he had received
from Lord Aberdeen
The precis of official correspondence which now
follows falls into three sub-divisions :—
(A,.)—T/ie initial investigations and the earlier
Conferences at Erzeroum. Period 1843-14.
B.)—TAe negotiation of the Treaty of Erzeroum
and the conditions of ratification. Period
1815-48.
(C.) —T/?(? attempt of the mediating Powers to
demarcate the frontier in accordance with the
treaty. Period 1850—52.
(A.) The Initial Investigations and the earlier
Conferences at Erzeroum. Period 1843-44.
Apart from the records of what passed at the
conferences at Erzeroum, the leading documents
for this period are a detailed and learned historical