Page 290 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

260 Part III.
430. Tlio Diary of llio Rosidont in Porsian Gulf ending TvitJi 21st
November 180G contained tlio following entry :
" November 8th.—Tito prosonco of Her Majesty’s ship “ Lapwing ” at Fan is producing
a most Bdutary influonco in connection with Turkish interlcrcnco with British Indian baghlns,
and tlio latter nro for tho first time awnro that Turkish oxactiona at Fao aro not recognized or
permitted by the British Government.”
431. Her Majesty’s Government then decided to instruct Sir P. Currie to
FordRu Officoletter to tl.eln-lia Oflicc ami reply address a lioto to tho Porte to UlC
dated ni» and Uili December 1391, respectively. effect : —
"That Her Majesty's Government will withdraw their demand for a Consular Agent
E.Urc.U., M.y 1607, No.. 32-13. ttt Pn OOndition thAt the Porto slot, in
* writing that ships will he allowed to proceed
direct to 1Uohammenih and Basrah without being sl-opped at Slmt-cl-Arab.”
432. The followiug notes were tlion exchanged botwoon the Porto and our
Embassy :—
Hole Ferbalc Ho. 108, Sublime Porte, le 20 Decembre 1S96.
En rSponso nux Notes Verbalo quo l’Ambassado do Sa Majeste Britanniquo a voulu lui
adresser lo 1 Juin dernier No. 521c Ministfcro dca Affaires E trail gores n l'lionneur de 1’infor-
mer sur uno communication do Son Allcssc le Grand Vdzir quo les Autorit^s Imperials du
Vilayet dc Uassoinh ont rccu l’ordrc d'clTcctucr desormais a Bassornh mfime les perquisitions
qu’elles se trouvent duns le cas dejairc d^bord dcsuavircs anglais naviguant sur lo Chatt-ul
Arab.
Hole verbale Ho. IdS, elated the 2nd December 1S98.
To the Sublime Porte.
Her Majesty’s Embassy Imvc Hie honour to acknowledge receipt of the Sublime Porto's
Note Ferbale No. 10i oE 20ih Dceonibcr, stating that the authorities of tho Vilayet of Basrah
have received directions that any search which it may be necessary to make on board British
vessels navigating tho Shat-el-Arab should take place at Basrah.
Ilcr Majesty’s Embassy take note of this communication, but it is well understood that
British ships enjoy perfect liberty to proceed direct to Mohammerah (or any other port on
Persian teiritory) and cannot bo compelled under any pretext to stop at Fao on their way
thither or to Basrah, unless they themselves dcsiro it.
433. Sir P. Currie forwarded to tho Foreign Office tho following memoran­
dum written by Captain "Whyto at Con­
Extornal A., Juno 1897. Nos. 23*30.
stantinople when oil his way to England:—
“ In November 1890 I was informed in a despatch from tho Consul-General, Baghdad,
that the Sublime Potre while objecting to recognise the British Consular Agency at Fao had
iotimaled to Her Majesty’s Embassy that they had direoted tho Vali of Basrah to. instruct
the authorities at Fao to remain in future from stopping or otherwise interfering with British
sailing vessels entering tho Shat-el-Arab, and that suoh vcssols w’ere, when necessary, to bo
boarded and examined at Basrah only. The Sublime Porte had, I understood, urged that the
demand of Her Majesty’s Government for the recognition of a Consular Agent at Fao should
in view of these orders, bo withdrawn, and my opinion was called for by tho Consul-General
as to whether this request might be safely complied with. I replied in my despatch to the
address of the Consul-Goncral (marginally noted) (^/c) that if tho orders of the Porto wore
properly enforced, the presence of a British Consular Agent at Fao might, in my opinion, bo
dispensed with. I considered, however, that it should be made clear to tho Porte that tho
unsatisfactory execution of thoir orders would lead to the renewal of the demand for the
recognition of a Consular Agent and that they should be furthor invited to removo the Turkish
Stationnairo (a wooden sailing vossel) armed with three cannon which is anchored at Dowasir
about 14 miles below Mnhammorah, nud tho object of whoso presence can only be to menace
and int.imidate sailing craft to waters which are exclusively Turkish.
During my interview with Ilis Excellency tho Ambassador yesterday, I understood His
’Excellency to bo of opinion tlmt the Porte, if addressed in this sense, would decline to removo
their vessel from Dowasiv on the ground probably that her presenco was necessary both for
the prevention of piracy and of smuggling, and that a long and fruitless corrospondonco might
ensue. His Excellency made tho alternative proposal that my successor at Basrah should »t tho
commencement of the dato season (the season during which the Shat-el-Arab is visited by
British sailing vessels) invito the Vali of Basrah to issuo orders to tlio Commander of tlic
Stationnairo to the effect that he was clearly to understand that tbo prcEOncc of tho vossol at

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