ملف رقم ٩٤٨ لسنة ١٩٠٩ "بلاد فارس: الوضع في الجنوب؛ حالة الطرق. الهجوم على السيد بيل. برنامج حرس الطرق". [و‎‎١‎٨‎٤] (٧٤٤/٣٧٢)

GTMg Docameat a the F^opertg rf H3s Britamde
PERSIA.
[August 2 .]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 2.
^27737]
No. 1 .
fflo. 126.')
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received August 2.)
Having found that notes to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and verbal
representations to the Minister of Interior or Minister of War are equally useless
the former being merely referred to the Medjliss Committee for Foreign Affairs and
the latter met With unfulfilled promises, it seemed to me necessary to take some other
means oi forcing the attention of the Government to the necessity of restoring order
and I therefore, as reported in my telegram No. 281 of the 8 th July, instructed
Abbas Lull Lhan, Nawab, to gam admittance to the next council of Ministers and
give them clearly to understand that His Majesty’s Government could not much longer
t A 0 |® rat( L tl I? T ^ 1 lniost n t 1 °! al . suspension of British trade. I enclose a memorandum by
Abbas Null Ivhan of his interview with the Ministers, at which Musteshar-ed-Dowleh
the president of the Medjhss, was also present. Abbas Kuli Khan appears to have
carried out his mission with great tact, for without himself making any mention of the
possibility of our sending troops, he succeeded in leaving behind him the impression
that His Majestys Government may be compelled to take that course; and he did
so without arousing any resentment. I have some hopes that, although it seems
practically certain that the present Government will fall, the good impression will not
be lost on their successors. But except under very strong pressure I am convinced
that the Persian Government, whatever it may be, will do nothing. It is not that its
members could not do something; if they would employ the old-fashioned means the
task is not one beyond their powers, but the general sense of the Medjliss is against
that course, and is even more averse from the appointment of the men whose
experience, acquired under the old regime, would ensure the success of those means
Even these objections might be surmounted if the Cabinet were in earnest. But
unfortunately the Cabinet is much too occupied with its own internal squabbles and
intrigues to look to the interests of the country, and until it receives a warning so
serious that it cannot be disregarded, the same indifference to our protests "and
representations will continue.
On the morning of the 10th I received a report by telegraph from Mr. Grahame
the substance of which I forwarded to you in my telegram No. 282 of the same day’
that the presence of 200 to 300 Kashgais in the town and the intended departure of
the governor and a considerable quantity of the troops at his disposal gave rise to
some anxiety. As the Cabinet had once more tendered its resignation, I at once sent
telegraphic messages to the under-secretaries at the Department of the Interior and
for_ Foreign Affairs requesting that energetic measures should be taken for the
maintenance of tranquillity in Ispahan; and having occasion the same afternoon to
call on Musteshar-ed-Dowleh, who, though he has just resigned the presidency of the
Medjliss, is certain to take some office in the new Cabinet, I spoke to him very earnestly
on the deplorable state of the southern provinces, and he promised to use his influence
to restore security.
BY Mr. Marling s instruction I proceeded to town yesterday to speak to the
Cabinet about the increasing insecurity on the roads in Southern Persia I found
[2854 6—2]
I have, &c.
CHARLES M. MARLING.
Enclosure in No. 1 .
Memorandum by Abbas Kidi Khan.