ملف رقم ٩٤٨ لسنة ١٩٠٩ "بلاد فارس: الوضع في الجنوب؛ حالة الطرق. الهجوم على السيد بيل. برنامج حرس الطرق". [و‎‎٩‎٣] (٧٤٤/١٩٠)

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is the Property of ffis Britannic Majesty’s Governments ®
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
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[November 21.]
Section 1.
[42262]
No. 1.
S?t G. Barclay to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received November 21 )
(No. 205.)
_ Tehran, November 3, 1910.
WUH reference to the concluding paragraph of my despatch No. 196 of the
29th Octobei, I have the honour to enclose herein an English translation of the note
addressed to me by the Persian Minister of Foreign Affairs in replv to my note of the
14th ultimo respecting the establishment of order on the southern roads.
I have, &c.
G. BARCLAY.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Hussein Kuli Khan to Sir G. Barclay.
(Translation.)
1 our Excellency. Tehran, October , 1910.
NOTE has been taken of the purport of your Excellency’s communication of the
10th Shavval, 1328 (a.h.) (14th October, 1910), respecting the southern roads, and I
now have the honour to say that His Majesty’s Government, being well aware (of the
fact), should therefore admit in what (a deplorable) condition the country was in
when, after the decline of the former disturbances, the Persian Government last year
took up the reins of Government, seeing that all the affairs and Government
administrations—especially the finances—were in complete disorder, and that the
foundations of security and public contentment were completely disturbed.
Though (the Government were) daily confronted with obstacles, such as the stay
of bodies of foreign troops in the interior of the country—which causes public
uneasiness, and is the pretext for incitement and intrigue on the part of persons who
profited by the former disturbances—as well as other incidents, such as those at
Karachidagh, Ardebil, Zenjan, Veramin, &c., which constantly occupied the Government
forces at several points ; from that date to this the affairs of the country have, in many
instances, improved and are improving.
But unfortunately, in certain places, the intrigues of persons who, for their own
profit, wish that the country should remain in the state of disturbance of the former
regime, are still going on, as explained below, and have not entirely ceased. For
instance, certain persons, after being guilty of sedition and intrigue, take refuge in
various legations, and, availing themselves of the protection afforded to them, consider
themselves exempt from exile, which is customary in the case of such refugees, and
intrigue within and without the precincts of the legation. Others again, by methods
the illegality of the majority of which has never been contested, such as proteges,
considering themselves immune, do not recoil from any kind of incitement or sedition.
In the same way others who pass among the people as Persian subjects, but in reality,
relying on their foreign nationality, commit crimes with audacity and in complete
confidence, and afterwards, declaring themselves to be foreign subjects, evade the
jurisdiction of the Government. And also persons, undoubted Persian subjects, who
by illegal means pretend they are foreign subjects, and then commit various kinds of
sedition.
These conditions, which cause the utmost trouble to the Government, provoking
disturbances in the country, and, furthermore, the continued stay of bodies of foreign
troops, have encouraged some persons to treasonable consideration of a return of the
former regime and give them unfounded hopes.
Apart from the fact that the Government’s attention and time is thereby, to an
extraordinary degree, directed to considerations and necessities relating to home
affairs, this matter is naturally a cause of regret and sorrow, as a prolongation of this
state of affairs might possibly cause a blow to and injure trade between Persian and
British subjects in the southern provinces.
[2968 x-1]
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