خارجي ٤٦/٥٠٠٠(١) ا"لوضع الفارسي: تقارير متنوعة" [و‎‎٤‎٢‎٨] (١٢٠٢/٨٥٧)

m
- 2 -
but v/as a deliberate challenge to legally constituted
authority. Whatever the Governor General’s reasons r.iay
have been for releasing on Monday the Political ring
leaders arrested on the previous night the affect had
undoubtedly been to v/calcen his authority and I expressed
the hope that the Priuc Minister in whatever way seemed
best to him would see that it v/as speedily reaffirmed
(I understand that Governor General did in fact agree to
release of these prisoners under pressure fromFirouz).
5. The Prime Minister essired me most earnestly that
ho had done and would continue to do everything possible
to support and strengthen Governor General’s authority and
provide absolute security for all British lives and
property in this area. He enumerated measures already
talc on (my telegram No. 1071) said the situation was
already well in hand. The Military Governor had intimated
that further reinforcements were unnecessary but never
theless an additional battalion was already on its way.
While the evidence so far adduced against prisoners
released had been insufficient to warrant their continued
detention he was far from satisfied of their innocence
and was sending a special commission to Abadan to
investigate their case. It seemed to me that the Prime
Minister trod delicately at this stage but I thought it
was wiser not. to pin him down, ns regards the two ships his
note of last night had, he said, been intended to remind me
of the legal position and it seemed to me that he was
faintly apologetic at this. He then went on to ask for early
withdrawal of both vessels from Shatt el nrab. Their
presence was superfluous and they were weakening rather than
/strengthening