§ MR. MOON (St. Pancras, N.)To ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the Anglo-Persian Convention of 9th February is signed on behalf of Persia, not by the Persian Minister who is the Plenipotentiary first named on the part of Persia in the Convention, but by a non-Persian; and why it is signed in French and Persian instead of English and Persian.
(Answered by Lord Cranborne.) The Persian text of the Anglo-Persian Convention was signed by the Persian Minister as First Plenipotentiary, the French text being signed by Sir A. Hardinge and by the Second Persian Plenipotentiary. This is according to precedent. There are also several precedents for the use of the French language instead of English in Conventions to which this country is one of the parties. In the present instance it was found to 64 be more convenient and expeditious to employ the French language.