HC Deb 24 October 1912 vol 42 cc2347-8
11. Sir JOHN LONSDALE

asked the right hon. Gentleman if his attention has been called to the loss of British trade with Ispahan owing to the closing of the southern roads; what force remains at Ispahan under British officers, and what purpose it is serving there; and if he is able to hold out any expectation that facilities for British trade will be restored in the near future?

Sir E. GREY

The answer to the first question is in the affirmative; the answer to the second is that there is the usual Consular escort, consisting of one Indian officer and three non-commissioned officers and seventeen sowars, at Ispahan for the protection of His Majesty's Consulate; the answer to the last question is that the Governor-General of Shiraz is taking fresh measures, under the direction of a Swedish gendarmerie officer, to restore order, establish gendarmerie posts, and suppress the extortionate payment exacted from users of the road by brigands along certain portions of the road between Shiraz and Bushire. I trust that these measures will lead to some improvement.

Sir J. LONSDALE

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in consequence of the present state of affairs Manchester merchants are suffering very great loss?

Sir E. GREY

I am quite aware that the interference with trade has been serious, and I sympathise very much with the difficulties, but to go beyond the measures which are at present being taken by the Persian Government, and for us to attempt to take the matter into our own hands and send a force to protect the routes would be a very serious and costly remedy, and would, of course, involve some large questions which go beyond commercial considerations.

Sir J. LONSDALE

Did not the right hen. Gentleman promise earlier in the year that the question of the protection of the routes would receive his attention?

Sir E. GREY

Yes, Sir. It does continue to receive attention, but the object of my answer is to point out that the conditions of the question are such that though it would be possible for us to stop interference with trade by taking matters into our own hands, that would be a remedy involving consequences far more serious, perhaps, than the interference with trade itself. Therefore all I can do immediately is to encourage and promote as much as possible those measures which are being taken by the Persian Government and the Swedish gendarmerie to remove the impediments to trade.

Sir J. D. REES

Is there any ground for the suggestion that a small force remains at Ispahan because it cannot safely get away?

Sir E. GREY

That is not so. The extra force which was at Ispahan has been withdrawn already, and has gone to Teheran.