‏"ملخص الأحداث والتدابير الرئيسية التي اتخذها سمو نائب الملك اللورد كرزون من كيدلستون، نائب الملك والحاكم العام للهند في إدارة الخارجية. ‏I‏. يناير ١٨٩٩-أبريل ١٩٠٤. ‏II‏. ديسمبر ١٩٠٤-نوفمبر ١٩٠٥. المجلد IV. بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي." [ظ‎‎٣‎١] (٣٨٦/٦٧)

49
i
.1,5ns in the Persian Gulf was considered by the Government of India a suffi.
e advlntlrto compensate for the loss in other d.rections. ft he same
time by the'reduction in the size of the vessels and by he substituhon of
n“ives for Europeans in respect of stoker ratings, a notable economy was
effected in the wastage of European life and healu “
the Admiralty made a fresh proposal : it was to the effect that tlio uties
carried on in Indian waters by ships of His Majesty’s Navy should be made
to devolve ou ships of the Royal Indian Marine, and that the three subsidised
,'unboats then in the Gulf should be handed over to the Government of India
for incorporation in the Royal Indian Marine. The scheme however did not
commend itself to Lord Curzon’s Government; they foresaw certain ad
vantages in the shape of more immediate control by themselves over a portion
of the naval force in Indian waters, in the formation of a body of ot iceis
possessing special local qualifications, and iu an enhancement of the status of
the Royal Indian Marine; but they held that these would be outweighed by
loss of prestige in the Persian Gulf where the regular war-vessels of other
European nations were now frequently seen, by decreased naval efficiency, by a
serious sacrifice of economy, by imperfect oo-operat.on between the Royal
Navy and the Royal Indian Marine, by the difficulty of arranging reliefs and
consequent prejudice to the health of crews,and by cessation of direct interest
in the Persian Gulf on the part of the British naval authorities; they therefore
adhered to the opinion which they had expressed in 1902, that the true remedy
for the difficulties of the situation Was to arm particular ships of the Royal
Indian Marine, when necessary, as auxiliaries to, but not as substitutes for,
ships of the Royal Navy. The scheme of the Admiralty was not in the end
adopted, and the arrangements introduced in 1901 accordingly continued to
be in force.
An effective rejoinder to Russian displays of naval force was made on two
occasions, at the instance of the Government of India, by the despatch of
British vessels of superior strength to the
British naval demonstrations. Gulf. The cruise of the Russian “ Varyag”
in December 1901 was answered by a visit in June 1902 of H.M.S.
“ Amphitrite,” a first class cruiser of 11,000 tons, to Maskat, Sur, Sib, Barka,
Bunder Abbas, Henjam, Bushire and Koweit ; the sight of this powerful ship
everywhere made a strong impression, especially at Maskat where an exhibition
of heavy gun practice was given outside the harbour. The immediate reply to
the cruise of the Russian “ Askold ” in December 1902 was the despatch to
the Gulf in the following month of His Majesty’s first-class battleship
“ Renown ”, which had brought His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught
to India for the Delhi Coronation Darbar; the “Renown” visited Maskat,
Bushire, Lingah, Bunder Abbas and Jask, and was by far the largest and most
imposing vessel which had ever been seen in the Persian Gulf.
Lord Curzon’s cruise.
But the principal demonstration of British force in the Persian waters was
Lord Curzon’s own Persian Gulf tour of 1903, which constituted a display of
strength and magnificence that no foreign
nation could hope to rival in such a part
of the world: it was undertaken primarily for the purpose of inspecting the
Indian establishments and of visiting the Arab Chiefs in treaty relations with
the British Government, hut also as a visible sign of the paramount political
and commercial ascendancy of Great Britain.
The R.I.M.S. “ Hardinge ”, carrying the Viceroy, left Karachi on the
16th of November 1903, accompanied by the second class cruiser “ Hyacinth
the flagship of Rear-Admiral Atkinson-Wfiles—, by the first class cruiser “ Argo
naut,” and by the third class cruisers “ Fox ” and “ Pomone,”—all ships of the
Royal Navy. Maskat was reached on the 18th of November ; the town was en
fete, the welcome of the Sultan was cordial in an extreme degree, and evidences
of popular rejoicing abounded on every side. On the first day of the visit a
deputation of the highest rank was sent by the Sultan to welcome Lord Curzon,
the Sultan himself was received on board ship by the Viceroy, and interviews were
accorded to the Prench and American Vice-Consuls ; Lord Curzon then landed
and visited the British Agency, where he was entertained at lunch and replied to