Page 289 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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53°. It will be seen that there were in 1900, 105 outstanding claims, some
dating back as far as the year 1892, the total value of which amounted to
^27,597. The lists include the claim for compensation on account of the
murder of Mr. Graves (see Mckran Prdcis and also claims arising out
of losses suffered by British subjects during the Lingah disturbances (see
Section XII above). Of the claims against the Persian Government in Baluchis­
tan, Mr. Whitby Smith sent a complete
Secret E., August 1900, Nos. 3-9.
statement with his letter No. 345-P., dated
28th April 1900. The total value of the claims was Rs. 51,562. Mr. Whitby Smith
proposed to submit only three claims of the value of only Rs. 8,298, exclusive of
the compensation for Mr. Graves’ murder.
531. In submitting these lists to the Secretary of State, the Government of
India in their despatch No.92-Secret—External, dated 12th July 1900, observed:—
Your Lordship will observe that many of the claims arc old—some date hack as for as
the year 1892—and that’our Political Resident in the Persian Gulf considers that there
is little prospect of these being settled locally, unless distinct instructions are sent from
the Persian Government to their officials in Southern Persia, directing them to conduct
the necessary enquiries in each case and to effect a settlement of the claims without
delay.
It is impossible for us to vouch in any degree for the validity of these claims, the
investigation of which is a matter for the Persian local officials acting with the representa­
tives of the British Government. But wc entertain no doubt, on the facts as stated in
the present correspondence, that the Persian officials have in a great number of cases been
remiss in bringing matters to a settlement, and we cannot regard with equanimity the
indefinite postponement of claims, many of which in all probability represent just and
reasonable demands.
Your Lordship’s Political despatch No. 133, dated the 23rd November 1899, intimated
that the claim against the Persian Government for compensation to Mr. Graves would
not be abandoned, though Her Majesty's Government were not then prepared to press
the demand in view of the depressed condition of the Persian finances. The recent
Russian loan has presumably placed the Persian Government in a better position to meet
their liabilities, and there may now be no objection to the exercise of diplomatic
pressure, with a view to the satisfaction of this and all other demands which are proved
after proper investigation to be justly recoverable. We, therefore, invite Her Majesty’s
Government to consider the propriety of taking action to bring home to the Persian
authorities as sense of their obligations, and of requiring from them a complete and speedy
settlement of the claims of which we now forward the particulars.
531. Two of the more pressing claims, (those of Messrs. Sassoon and Messrs.
Lynch) were paid by the Persian Government, ^1,152-19-5 for Messrs.
Sassoon and £114-5-9 for Messrs. Lynch. The sum paid on account of the
former was less than that claimed by them, as the Persian Government never
pays interests on deferred payments. The British Legation did not like to press
the claim further, as Messrs. Sassoon had made themselves liable to heavy fine
under the Persian Law for importing ammunition.
532. The claims arising out of the Lingah bombardment and Graves’ murder.it
was decided to make subjects of separate
Secret E., April igoi, Nos. 11.13.
negotiation. For settling the rest of the
claims a Special Commissioner was deputed by the Shah’s Government.
533. This Special Commissioner arrived at Bushire in April 1904, but it was
soon evident that he had neither the
Secret E., May 1902, Nos. 64*66.
authority nor the power to enforce the
settlement of the claims.
534. The cases of this failure were further explained by Colonel Kemball in
his letter No. 9*S. A., dated iSth June
Secret E., August 1902, Nos. 87 90.
1902, to His Majesty’s Chargd d’Affaires:—
In Sir A. Hardinge’s despatch to Lord Lansdowne, No. 84, dated nth May, which
has recently passed throngh my hands, His Excellency refers to our long-standing claims
in Bushire and to the fact that the mission of the Special Commissioner had proved, by the
Mushir-ed-Dowleh's own admission, a failure, partly on account of the frequent changes in
the Local Government, and partly because of the incapacity of the Commissioner himself
who had been recalled two months ago to Tehran.
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