§ Mr. LLOYDasked the number of troops or guards being sent by His Majesty's Government to Southern Persia for the protection of British interests; and to what places these are to be drafted?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir Edward Grey)Between 400 and 500 men are being sent to Southern Persia to reinforce the Consular escorts, pending the establishment by the Persian Government of a system which will effectively provide for security. The distribution of the reinforcements between Shiraz, Bushire, and Ispahan has been left to the discretion of His Majesty's representative at Tehran, in consultation with the local Consular authorities. The increased escorts will be withdrawn when the Persian scheme is in effective operation.
§ Mr. LLOYDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information to give the House on the condition of affairs in Southern Persia in regard to British trade routes and regarding security of British subjects in Southern Persia?
§ Sir E. GREYI regret to state that the reports received from His Majesty's Minister at Tehran show that the condition of affairs in Southern Persia is very unsatisfactory. Frequent robberies have taken place upon the trade routes, telegraph wires have been cut, and disorders have taken place at Shiraz, which threatened considerable danger to British life and property. The Persian Government are endeavouring to remedy this state of things by the organisation of a gendarmerie force; but as some time must elapse before satisfactory results can ensue, and as there is at present no adequate guarantee against the recurrence of disorders, His Majesty's Government have taken the decision to increase the Consular escorts in the towns where the danger was most imminent and may recur.
§ Colonel YATEHave the Persian Government granted any compensation to the officers and others and caravans that have been robbed?
§ Sir E. GREYNo, Sir. There are several claims pending, but I cannot say whether any money has actually been paid. I ask the hon. Member to give me notice.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received official information to the effect that the ex-Shah of Persia has resumed military operations in Northern Persia; that his forces are accompanied by Russian officers; and that Russian troops and Russian gunboats rendered him assistance in the recent engagement near Bandargaz?
§ Sir E. GREYWe have received information to the effect that there have been several recent engagements between a force of the ex-Shah's followers and Government troops near Bandargaz. His Majesty's Government have not heard that this force is accompanied by Russian officers, or that the ex-Shah is receiving assistance from Russian troops and gunboats, nor do we believe that there is any foundation for the report.
§ Mr. MORRELLIs it not a fact that the Russian Government are sending 800 troops into Persia in addition to the 4,000 they already have there.
§ Sir E. GREYI gave the figures yesterday. If the hon. Member will refer to that answer I think he will find I gave the number as 250, but I cannot be quite sure.
§ Mr. DILLONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what grounds the British Government supported the Russian Government in resisting the appointment of Major Stokes by the Persian Government; and whether he can now lay upon the Table all the correspondence which passed between the British and the Russian Governments and the British and the Persian Governments in reference to this proposed appointment.
§ Sir E. GREYWhat we have done is to refuse to facilitate the appointment of Major Stokes by accepting his resignation. The ground for doing so is that it is not consistent with the spirit of the Anglo-Russian Agreement that we should directly or indirectly promote the employment of a British officer to control gendarmerie in the North of Persia. We might ourselves have taken objection if the Russian Government had promoted the employment of a Russian officer to control gendarmerie in the part of Persia next to the Indian frontier, and we are bound to act reciprocally. It is not proposed to lay separate Papers on this point, but I will see if they can be included in the next Persian Blue Book.
§ Mr. DILLONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will lay upon the Table a statement of the number of Indian troops which it is proposed to send to Persia, the cities in which they are to be quartered, and the number proposed to be quartered in each city; a statement of the information on which it was decided to send Indian troops to Persia; and the communications which have 981 passed between the British and Persian Governments in reference to this proposal?
§ Sir E. GREYBetween 400 and 500 men are being sent from Bombay. Their distribution between Bushire, Shiraz, and Ispahan will be decided by His Majesty's Representative at Tehran in consultation with the local Consular authorities. Their dispatch was decided upon owing to reports received a few weeks ago that there was really serious danger to Europeans, especially at Shiraz; against the recurrence of that there is at present no adequate guarantee. It is not proposed to lay Papers on this point separately.
§ Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked whether, in view of the continued state of insecurity which prevails in Shiraz-Ispahan road and on the roads in that part of Persia generally, His Majesty's Government propose to take any further steps to assist the Persian Government in protecting the lives and property of travellers?
§ Sir E. GREYThe Persian Government have engaged seven additional Swedish officers to organise the Persian gendarmerie. It is hoped that, when this force has been made effective, security will so far be restored in southern Persia that no further steps will be necessary, and that the reinforcements of the Consular escorts can be withdrawn. The force now being sent will act as Consular guards, and it is not intended at present, nor would it be desirable, to extend their functions beyond that.
§ Colonel YATEWould it not have been a great advantage to the Persian Government if they had accepted the generous offer of the British Government to lend them British officers?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a purely hypothetical question. The Persian Government can answer it, but nobody else.