Page 19 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOB THE TEAB 1912. i9
the allotment of the foreshore of this harbour to our own satisfaction,
Jjjuld occasion arise.
From the accounts given by Major Haworth and Captain Grey of the
vlmh and Bafchturi strained relations which have existed
throughout the year between the Shaikh
of ilohammcrah and the Bakhtiari Khans, it will be apparent that the authority
of the leaders of both parties is likely to be impaired and the peace of their
territories in danger of annual disturbance, unless some permanent settlement
can be reached, a consummation which the efforts of His Majesty's
Representatives at Tehran and on the spot have hitherto failed to achieve: the
pence of Arabistan was substantially undisturbed during the year, but this was
Jnc less to the occurrence of a detent between the parties than to the
continued loyalty of all the Arab tribes to their titular head.
Captain Grey’s report deals primarily with the Bakhtiari, Laristan and
Kuhgelu provinces. The two last named
Ahwaz.
districts were in their normal condition of
anarchy, whilst during the summer months, the Bakhtiari country was little
better owing to constant Kuhgelu raids, in which Bakhtiari tribesmen appear to
have participated con amove. The Ahwaz-Ispahan road was completely closed
from June to September, but losses of British goods only totalled £1,430
during the year, Messrs. Lynch Brothers having received timely news of
impending disturbances in June and having stopped forwarding from either
end. The quantity of goods carried over the road shows, however, a considerable
increase over the figures for 1911 almost equalling the totals for 1910, hut the
rate of hire continues to exhibit an’upward tendency and stands at a figure which
greatly hampers British trade with Ispahan.
It is satisfactory to note that the Oil Company’s pipe line laid by a firm of
Glasgow contractors and British Engineers has worked uninterruptedly
throughout the year without a single leak or burst: the line is laid through
most difficult country and its working and that of the pumping stations reflect
great credit on all concerned.
The passing history of Maskat continues to centre in the negotiations with
the Sultan and with France for the sup­
Masqat
pression or the limitation of the Arms
Traffic and the measures taken by us meanwhile for keeping it in practical
check. It is satisfactory to be able to record that during the past year there
ha3 been a considerable advance towards the goal desired, thanks mainly to the
satisfactory and co-operative attitude steadfastly maintained by His Highness the
Sultan.
The position at the end of last year was that the Sultan had accepted the
Government of India’s proposals in principle, in consideration of the addition,
of one lakh per annum to his subsidy ana a payment of a further lakh cash
down, intended to represent compensation for loss and inconvenience which His
Highness had been incidentally put to by our operations against the traffic
during the last few years. The Political Resident spent the month of May at
Maskafc engaged with the Sultan and the * Political Agent in working out the
details of the warehouse scheme. A good deal of difficulty was experienced at
first owing to the difficulty which His Highness experienced, in coping with the
ly task presented by the scheme as a whole with its numerous
somewhat unwield
intricate working details, and was inclined to imagine pitfalls and international
complications on every side
It consequently became necessary to deal with the subject in instalments
suitable for His Highness’s consumption, and on these lines the negotiations pro­
ceeded much more satisfactorily. Once committed to the Bcheme, and confident
of our intention to give him unequivocal support in the execution of it, he
made little further difficulty over details and accepted the rules drafted for him,
subject to a few modifications which were on the whole reasonable. After a
■warning notice, promulgated on the 3rd June, intimating the inauguration of
the special warehouse for arms after a period of three months, the arrangement
was duly brought into force, and though up to the end of the year the French
Government have maintained their refusal to accept its provisions on the part.of
their nationals, their attitude has oontinued to become leas uncompromising arid