"مجلد I مذكرات بخصوص بلاد فارس والمنطقة الحدودية الشمالية الغربية. ١٩٠٥." [ظ‎‎٢‎٠] (٣١٠/٤٥)

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acquisition by the latter of his oil concession.
As far as is at present known, a provisional
agreement has been entered into between the
parties concerned, pending the result of further
investigations to be made by the company as to
the fruitfulness of the oil fields.
5. Steps for the reorganisation of the
army have been discussed by the principal
Ministers and the Sardars holding commands
under the Grand Vizier’s presidency. These
meetings have resulted in a division of the
forces under 9 more or less independent com
manders. The Amir Bahadur Jang is com
mander of the Tehran Military Division, with
the Russian officers of the Cossack Brigade
under his command. The Ala-ed-Dowleh,
ex-Governor-General of Pars, Amir Khan,
Sardar, son of the late Sipah Salar, and
other less important personages have been
deputed to the remaining commands.
6. A late opponent of the Ain-ed-
Dowleh, an aged and influential Mujtahid
named Seyed Ali Akbar, Tafrishi, died at
Tehran on the 27th February. He was
reputed to be a man of great learning, but
corrupt and somewhat dissolute. Although
averse to the present Grand Vizier, he was
not in sympathy with that portion of the
clergy who are interested in the re-call of the
Atabeg.
7. His Majesty’s Government have
approved of the terms of Sir A. Hardinge’s
note addressed to the Mushir-ed-Dowleh, in
reply to the Persian Government’s notification
of an intended imposition on foreigners of the
cart and carriage tax, from which all but
Persian subjects have hitherto been exempt
(paragraph 12 of February Journal).
8. A determined attempt has been made
to organise an agitation against the Belgian
Customs administration, which may, or may
not, develop into overt acts of violence. The
prime-mover is reported to be the 3N izam-es-
Sultaneh, who is said to be secretly encouraged
by the new Minister of Commerce—the Saad-
ed-Dowleh—and several other members of the
Government, as well as directly or indirectly by
the heads of the clerical party. Photographs
of Mons. Naus in the robe and turban of a
Mulla, worn by him at a fancy dress ball,
have been circulated widely, and a report
has been spread among the clergy that Mons.
Naus, to show his contempt for the Shia faith,
masqueraded at this dance as the twelfth
Imam, whom orthodox Persian revere as their
temporal and spiritual sovereign. Leaflets
urging, as the duty of all good Moslems, the
assassination of Mons. Naus and his colleagues
have been distributed freely, and the Minfster
of Customs has been annoyed by attempts to
blackmail him in connection with these threats
to such an extent that he has submitted to the
Shah his resignation sooner than allow his