§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been directed to the fact that the Russian agents in Persia have actively interfered in the struggle between the Shah of Persia and the national party in that country, and have materially contributed to the destruction of the Persian Parliament and constitution; and whether His Majesty's Government have addressed any representations to the Russian Government on this matter.
(Answered by Secretary Sir Edward Grey.) I am not aware that Russian agents have actively interfered in the struggle in Persia, though the representatives of both the British and Russian Governments have from time to time given advice to the Shah. The Russian officers who took part in the fighting at Teheran in the summer were in the service of the Shah, and were not acting as agents of the Russian Government. The exigencies of the situation have occasionally forced both British and Russian Consuls or Vice-Consuls, as at Tabriz recently, to enter into communications with one political party or the other; but the policy of both Governments has been to limit this as much as possible. It must be remembered 463 that the prolonged disturbance in a province on the Russian frontier has caused great loss to Russian trade; at one time there was also some danger to Russian lives and property; and the British Vice-Consul informs me that the Customs, in which Russia has a special interest, have not been collected for five months. The only step, however, hitherto taken by the Russian Government has been to place 400 men on their own frontier, as a precautionary measure. None of these men have so far been allowed to cross into Persian territory; and I see no occasion to make any representations, for I do not suppose that any British Government would have acted differently under the circumstances.