Page 28 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

18 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PEH&IAN GULP POLITICAL
At the ond of the year Monsieur Qatinoglou was awaiting the arrival of
diving gear and a party of Greok divers from Europe and intended to put
specific operations in hand on-their arrivaL
Messrs. Frank C. Strick and Company intimated to His Majesty’s
Bed o*. Dtponu. Government in petober 1905 that they
had sucoeedod in obtaining a contract
with the Moin-ut-Tujjar for the output of red oxide on the Island of Hormuz
and that in the desire to keep out foreign competition, they had paid an
abnormal price for it.
There has been no friction this year in regard to the post office, but
negotiations have been proceeding during
Post Offioo.
the year for the conclusion of an agree­
ment with the Persian Government regarding the parcel post only, the British
Government maintaining that the British post offices in the Gulf occupy
a privileged position and are not ueoessarily under obligation to conform to
rules observed by other nations in regard to postal matters. The negotia­
tions were delayed by the absence of Monsieur Naus in Europe and bad not
been brought to conclusion when the year closed.
Public Health. There is fortunately little to record under this head. There was a mild
epidemic of small-pox in March 1906.
Epidemics.
Beyond this and the detention of two
susppeted cases of plague on hoard the JPersepolis on her return from
Bombay in May 1905, there is little to record, and the public health has
been good.
The Residency Surgeon as heretofore has been in charge of Gulf
quarantine on behalf of the Persian
Quarantine.
Government and no circumstances have
arisen to generate friction with the local authorities. The representatives of
Foreign Powers, however, continue to be increasingly jealous of the British
Administration of the quarantine and leave no opportunity of assailing
our regime.
This attitude seems fo be reflected to some extent at Tehran, for although
the Residency Surgeon as Chief Sanitary OScer for the Persian Government
in the Gulf sends regular monthly report? to Tehran regarding the health of
the Gulf Ports, the Sanitary Board, with the Shah’s French Doctor Schneider as
Secretary, has always shown a tendency to suppress or all but ignore the
Residency Surgeon’s communications aad to push the irresponsible ones of
Dr. Bussihre.
On 21st November the Russian Consul-General, Monsieur Passek,
wishing to see a friend off to Bombay, went off in a sailing-boat from bis
bouse flying his Consular Flag and accompanied by his Cossack Escort*
and boarded the fast mail steamer which is in fact always in quarantine and
was as usual flying the Quarantine Flag. He and two of his followers
remained on her as long as she was in port, afterwards returning to his bouse.
On hearing of it from his Deputy the Residency Surgeon at once remonstrated
with Monsieur Passek and placed his house in quarantine ; but as there were
English passengers on board who complained loudly of Monsieur Passek being
allowed to hoard the ship and return to his house with impunity while tbeT
were sent to Quarantine Island to undergo quarantine detention, the lac
were
---- communicated by the Resident to the Legation with a view to tne
attention of the Persian Government being drawn to the matter^ u
sequeDtly having been called upon by the Dcrya Begi on behalf of his GoTern-
ment for an explanation Monsieur Passek addressed him a very long /
communication in which after endeavouring to explain away the occurrence#
launched into an irrelevant attack upon the English Administration o
quarantine generally.
Having regard to the visit of Hr. Faivre last year to study the
v-u,Dr.^w and quarantine Govern-
. Ports on behalf of the Frencn ^ of
meet, His Majesty’s Government this year deputed Dr. Theodore Gulf
the Local Government Board ou their own behalf to make a tour ot