Page 72 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

CG
he would do moro to please the British Govern­
ment, and might ofToctivoly block foruign
schemes of irrigation within the limits of his
jurisdiction.
This proposal, though at first sight inviting,
would prove difficult., if not impossible, in oxceu-
tion, ou account of the admissions as to Persian
sovereignty made by His Majesty’s Government
in the course of the negotiations respecting the
Turco-Persinn frontier.
In 1902 Sheikh Khazal, who for upwards of
sixty years had farmed the Customs of Molmm-
merah, entered, with some rcluctanco, into an
Arrangement with the Persian Government to
place the administration of the customs under Foroigu Office
the. Belgian Customs officials. At the same timo, jJcccmbrf 11*'
he pressed His Majesty’s Government for an 1905.
assurance of support in the event of the Persian
Government breaking their engagements towards
him. While expressing himsolf able to deal
with the Porsians, ho feared an attempt to coerce
him might bo made by some other Power, either
acting alone or in co-operation with the Shah’s
Government. His Majesty’s Government under­
took to protect Mohammcruh against naval
attack by a foreign Power under any protext,
and also, so long as the Sheikh remained
faithful to the Shah and followed British
advice, to continue to give him good offices and
support.
At a meeting held on the 22nd March, J905,
the Imperial Defcuco Committee decided:—
“ That it is important to secure the good offices of
the Sheikh of Mobammernh, and the possibility of sup­
porting him iu certain cases aguiust the Slmb should
not be excluded; but we must bo the judges of the
merits of any dispute which inuy arise.”
In December 1907, His Majesty’s Chargd ^r>
d’Affaires at Tehran reported that Messrs, -fa 18,
1 Commercial,
Wdnckbaus, the German firm, had leased a plot December 21,
1907.
of land on the river bank at Mohammerah for a
p« riod of eight years.
(h.) Persia.
Most of the authoritalive statements on the
protection of our interests in Southern Persia
and the Gulf have been rendered largely irrelevant
by the conclusion of the Anglo-Bussian Conven­
tion ; while another factor, of perhaps correspond­
ing import, is the rise of German influence at
Tehran__too recent to admit any definition of its
ultimate effect.