مجموعة ٥٩/٣٠ "الخليج الفارسي. تأسيس البحرية الفارسية، إلخ" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٩] (٦٢٤/٣٧٨)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT.
PERSIA.
April 9, 1930.
CONFIDENTIAL
Section 1.
\
|_E 1848/36/34]
No. 1.
Sir R. Clivq to Mr. A. Henderson.—{Received April 9.)
(No. 141.)
Sir,
Tehran, April 2, 1930.
WITH reference to my telegrams No. 74 and No. 75 of the 28th March. I have
the honour to transmit herewith copy of a letter from Teymourtache which reached
me yesterday and in which he explains his views about the assistance he hopes to
obtain from His Majesty's Government in the creation of a Persian navy.
2. In the course of my interview with him yesterday afternoon, his Highness
referred to this matter. I at once explained to him that there could be no question
of His Majesty’s Government presenting the Persian Government with any ships at
all. This was precluded under the Washington Treaty. On the other hand, a rough
estimate had been made of the cost of two sloops of about 700 tons and four motor-
boats of 200 tons which, in the opinion of the senior naval officer in the Gulf, would
be sufficient for the purposes of checking the contraband trade. According to this
rough estimate the cost of these boats would be in the neighbourhood of £150,000,
and His Majesty's Government, as a proof of their goodwill, were prepared to remit
an additional amount of debt to cover the cost of these boats if the Persian Govern
ment decided to order them in Great Britain.
3. His Highness said that this was not at all what he had anticipated when he
first raised the question. He had expected His Majesty's Government to provide ten
boats free of cost to the Persian Government as part compensation for the renuncia
tion of the Persian claim to Bahrein. The Persian Government would never pay ,
any part of the debt, and it was useless to discuss the matter on the basis proposed. (
When his Highness, who had become very excited, finished this tirade, I begged him
to consider the matter in a reasonable spirit. I should mention that he had already
raised the question of the debt before speaking about the ships. I pointed out that
the British Treasury had been very averse from waiving any part of the debt, and
only after long discussions had His Majesty's Government eventually decided that,
in order to arrive at a satisfactory all-round settlement, they would be prepared to
waive a portion of the debt. One million pounds was a large sum of money. W hen
he had raised the question of the ships last August he had brought in an entirely
new point which really had no connexion with the treaty, but as a further proof of
their goodwill His Majesty's Government had eventually agreed to assist the Persian
Government in the only way they could by remitting an additional amount of debt
and helping to find British officers to enter the service of the Persian Government
if suitable terms could be arranged.
4. His Highness, however, did not disguise his disappointment; he had
apparently worked himself up in the idea that there were so many ships in the
British navy that we could easily afford to hand over a few to Persia. His attitude
was, in fact, quite childish. As I realised it was no good continuing the conversa
tion’, which had already lasted for several hours, I took my leave, and have arranged
to go and see him again in a week’s time.
5. As you will see from his Highness’s letter, the Persian Government are
now so far committed to the purchase of some boats in Italy that this would appear
to all intents and purposes to be settled. Whether there is any point in proceeding
with the question of British personnel for these ships or of the provision of British
ships is for His Majesty’s Government to decide. It might possibly be worth while
that Captain Boyes, the present senior naval officer in the Gulf, who, I understand,
is relinquishing his command in June, should proceed to England by way of Tehran
in case the Admiralty should wish to have the matter discussed with the Minister
of Court by an experienced naval officer who was in Tehran last year and met his
Highness on that occasion.
6. I venture to submit this suggestion for the consideration of the Admiralty.
Captain Boyes could, at any rate, supply a much-needed antidote to the crazy idea
which his Highness at present entertains on the subject of the future Persian navy.
1 should be grateful to receive your views by telegram.
[92 i—1]