Page 150 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

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Government.” The Grand Vizier told Sir A.
Hnrdingo at the samo time that lie proposed to
reopen the question on M. Naus' return from
leave. Nothing further was done, however, and
the settlement of tho caso remained for the time
being undisturbed.
Arising out of these incidents, Sir A. Sir A. nardingo
to Lord Lana*
llardinge, in a despatch dated tho 10th August,
downo,
190t, proposed that, in order to strengthen our August 1C-1904.
position, the Government of India should decide
“ (1) itself to pay tho salaries of tho Iiuliau
doctors in tho Gulf ports ; and (2) to depute for
these duties European rather than, as at present,
native Indian assistant surgeons.” The Govern- Vicoroy'atclugram
ment of India doubted the advantage of raising j9oi°lo'X5r 27,
tho former point, unless it was pressed by tho
Persian Government; they considered moreover
that tho “delegation of quarantine functions
to British-paid officials seems to involve
greator derogation from Shah’s dignity than
employment of British officers paid by Persian
Government.” Tho latter recommendation,
however, was accepted, and the Government of
India telegraphed, on the 31st December, 1001,
that steps were being tuken to provide “ suitable
Europeans to replace the present assistant
surgeons ut Mohammcrah and Bunder Abbas as
soon as possible,” and that it was also proposed
“ to carry out a like change at other ports in
the Persian Gulf if suitable men can be. obtained.”
In March 1905 the Government of India were
able to report that the necessary measures had
been taken in regard to Mohammcrah and Bunder
Abbas, and that arrangements were being made
for similar action in respect of the other ports.
During the year 1906 the question was again
to the front. In tho middle of September the
Darya Bcgi, Governor of the Persian Gulf, wrote to
the Residency Surgeon at Bushire, iu his capacity
as Chief Quarantine Officer for the Persian Gulf,
informing him that the Persian Government
would require tho Persian flag, as well as tho
quarantine flag, to be flown, not only On all
boats employed iu quarantine work, but also on
all ships undergoing quarantine in Persian ports.
This step was believed to be the outcome of the
action of the Russian Consul-General, who had
informed the Darya Begi that Russian vessels
would, in future, recognize no quarantine
authority unless covered by the Persian flag, and
tliat n0 correspondence would be carried on with