Page 147 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

10
flipping the unnecessary and prejudicial restrictions
that would result from the latter aclicino.
“ If this view should meet with acceptance, I would
urge that steps should bo taken to put the schcmo I
have suggested in operation with all possible speed. I
view the alternative ‘sentinel station’ project with
apprehension, as calculated to bo ineffective, expensive,
and gravely dctrimontul to commercial interests—uod
these are mainly British—iu the Gulf. Abandonment of
this ‘sentinel station’ project is much moro likely to
follow on knowledge that defensive measures, of the kind
and at tbo places 1 have indicated, are iu actual opera-
lion than on mere announcement that such measures
are in contemplation."

Dr. Thomson's views as to the “ sentinel
station ” were adopted by His Majesty’s Govern­
ment, and the French Government were in­
formed that the Persian proposals were inac-
ceptable, a decision which was iu due course
communicated to Persia nnd to the other parties
to the Convention.
Sir 0. Spring-Rice Sir C. Spring-Rice at the end of 1906 ex­
to Sir E. Grey,
January 1, 1907. plained the position to Dr. Schneider, President
of the Tehran Sanitary Council,* who promised
to do his best to prevent the question being
again raised. Dr. Schneider observed, how­
ever, that, it would greatly facilitate his task,
should the matter bo brought before the
Sanitary Council, if tbo Government of India
would consent to improve the conditions under
which quarantine measures were at present
carried out in the Gulf, t.e., by increasing the
European personnel and by supplying disin­
fection stoves and rat-destroying apparatus at
each of the five ports (viz., Mohammerab,
Bushire, Lingah, Buudcr Abbas, and Jask),
instead of al Bushire only. Dr. Schneider added
that the Persian Government had not the neces­
sary funds at their disposal, and that the expense
would necessarily fall on the Indian Govern­
ment.
B.
It will be convenient at this stage to give a
brief account of the quarantine system hitherto
administered in the Persian Gulf by officers of
• This body was instituted by the Shah in 1904 as a
result of the cholera panic. It comprises the European
physicians of the Shah as well as several Legation physicians
and Persian doctors. Its functions are purely advisory, and
it has neither funds nor executive of any sort under its
oontrol.

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