Page 150 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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Government’* The Grnud Vizier told Sir A.
Hardinge at tho same time that ho proposed to
reopen the question on M. Naus* return from
leave. Nothing further was done, however, and
tho settlement of tho case romaiued for the time
being undisturbed.
Arising out of these incidents, Sir A. Sir A. Hardingo
Hardinge, in a despatch dated tho 10th August, dowm^ LaDB"
1904, proposed that, in order to strengthen our August 16,1904.
position, the Government of India should decide
“ (1) itself to pay the salaries of tho Indian
doctors in the Gulf ports; and (2) to depute for
these duties European rather than, as at present,
native Indian assistant surgeons.” The Govern- Viceroy’s telegram
ment of India doubted the advantage of raising JgQ4Ctobor 2?’
the former point, unless it was pressed by tho
Version Government; they considered moreover
that the “delegation of quarantine functions
to British-paid officials seems to involve
greater derogation from Shah’s dignity than
employment of British officers paid by Persian
Government.” Tho latter recommendation,
however, was accepted, and the Government of
India telegraphed, on the 31st December, 1901,
that steps were being taken to provide “ suitable
Europeans to replace the present assistant
surgeons at Moharamerah and Bunder Abbas as
soon as possible,’’.and that it was also proposed
“ to carry out a like change at other ports in
the Persian Gulf if suitablo men can be obtained.”
In March 1905 the Government of India were
able to report that the necessary measures had
been taken in regard to Mobammerah and Bunder
Abbas, and that arrangements were being made
for similar action in respect of the other ports.
During the year 1906 the question was again
lo the front. In the middle of September the
Darya Begi, Governor of the Persian Gulf, wrote to
the Residency Surgeon at Bushirc, in his capacity
as Chief Quarantine Officer for the Persian Gulf,
informing him that the Persian Government
would require the Persian flag, as well as the
quarantine flag, to be flown, not only On all
boats employed in quarantine work, but also on
all ships undergoing quarantine in Persian ports.
This step was believed to be the outcome of the
action of the Russian Consul-General, who had
informed the Darya Begi that Russian vessels
would, in future, recognize no quarantine
authority unless covered by the Persian flag, and
tliat no correspondence would be carried on with