Page 107 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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number of persons to bo employed, and the
extent, of accommodation to be provided on tiio
said island in accordance with the Memorandum
dated the Pith March, and the plans forwarded
to the Persian Foreign Office on the 28th of the
same month, after being approved by the British
Mission, the Persian Ministers, in order to
strengthen the friendly relations between the two
Governments, will give permission and authority
in the manner indicated, provided that the number
of employes and exteut of the buildings are not
allowed at any time to exceed those explained in
the Memorandum received from the British
Legation.”
When our telegraph station was re-established
in i001*, in connection with the scheme for
establishing telegraphic communication with
Bunder Abbas, Sir A. Hardinge informed the
Persian Government that “ there is no intention
on the part of tho Government of India to
support any such claim (i.e., to llenjam) of the
Chief of Debai [whoso subjects tho local Arabs
claimed to be], or to repudiate the authority of
tho Persian Government.” The Persian Govern­
ment, however, chose to assert their authority
by sending a Customs officer to the island, much
to the resentment of the local Arabs. A con­
troversy arose with the Persian Government as
to tho limits to be assigned to our telegraph
station and as to tho position of a Persian
Customs office on the island. The dispute still
remains unsettled.
Bunder Abbas.—As has already been stated,
the Convention of the 2nd April, 1868, em­
: powered the British Government to “ make
arrangements with regard to the cohstruction
and efficient working of a line of telegraph
between Gwadur and a point between Jask and
Bunder Abbas.” The question of bringing
Bunder Abbas into telegraphic connection with
the outer world was definitely raised in 1901.
In their despatch of the 21st January, J904>,
Lord Curzon’s Government stated that when the
Viceroy was at Bunder Abbas, during his visit
to the Persian Gulf, “ he was earnestly pressed
both by tho local traders and also by the Salar-i-
Monzzam, Govornor of the Gulf ports, to lend
his assistance to the connection of Bunder Abbas
by telegraph with tho outer world ”; and it was
accordingly anticipated that tho proposal would