Page 108 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

102

Provo acceptable to the Persian Government.
Difficulty was, liowovor, encountered, and, in
view of the obstructive attitudo of the Persian
Government, the cable was carried back to
i Ion jam under the authority of the Concession
of 18GS.
Subsequently,’ this reconnection with lion jam
being a. fait uccompli, uu Agreement was signed on
the 13th May, 1930, by Sir A. llardingo and the
Persian Minister for Poroign Adairs for the con-
struction of “ a line of telegraph to connect tho
Indo-European telegraph station at llcnjani with
Bundor Abbas across Kishm." Tho lino was to
belong to tho Persian Government, but tho Indo-
European Telegraph Departments were “ to pro­
vide tho engineers and materials nccossary for
the construction.” In tho second paragraph of
this Agreement it was provided that, “ us soon as
tho lino is complete, and tho cost of materials
and charges of the engineers and telegraph ship
havo been paid, the lino shall bo handed over
to tho Persian Ministry of Telegraphs.” The
charges to he incurred were not to exceed
75,000 rupees, the payment of which sum was
guaranteed by the Persian Government. It
should be added that the Porsian Government
bos not yet paid back the cost of construction,
and the line has, in consequence, not yet been
handed over. Tho cable house at Bunder Abbas
is in charge of an employ^ of tho British Con­
sulate who receives an allowance from the
Indo-European Telegraph Department, but tho
site of tho proposed telegraph office has not yet
been settled, the question, like that of the station
on Henjam Island, having formed the subject of
a prolonged controversy with tho Persia^ Govern­
ment..
Muscat.—The cable from Jask to Muscat was
completed in 1901, in accordance with an
Agreement concluded with the Sultan of Muscat
in 1805, stipulating that “ the British Govern­
ment shall be at liberty to construct one or more
telegraphic lines, and to erect telegraph statious
in- any portion of territory subject to the
sovereignty of His Highness, both in Arabia and
Mekran, which shall be most convenient to them.”
The Sultan of Muscat also agreed to "afford
protection to the best of his ability to the lines
of telegraph, the telegraph stations, and the
persons employed in their construction and
maintenance.”