§ *LORD LAMINGTON rose "to ask His Majesty's Government whether it is a fact that Russian troops are advancing from Tabriz, and that other troops are being marshalled at Baku; whether the Government will state with what object these troops are being moved; whether it is not a fact that the Nationalist troops advancing from Kasvin and Kum respectively have been preserving public order at Resht and Ispahan to the complete satisfaction of the Consular representatives, and therefore, no fear need be entertained for the lives and property of the Europeans at Teheran."
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, I intended last Thursday asking the Question standing in my name, but, at the request of the noble Earl the Secretary of State for the Colonies, I postponed doing so until to-day. In the meantime the situation in Persia, or in the vicinity of Persia, has developed extensively and rapidly. I do not for a moment wish to impugn the good faith of Russia in any action she has taken or is now taking. Indeed, as regards Russian advance in Persia, there are two distinct parties in Russia itself. There are what are called the Reactionaries, who are practically synonymous with the Forward Party; there is also the party opposed generally to the Government and represented by the deputation from the Duma at present in this country, and only last Friday one of their number voiced very loudly his disapproval of any Russian advance in Persia. Therefore what I am saying is not animated by any hostile feeling towards Russia, or a desire to challenge her good faith.
§ My immediate object in raising the question in your Lordships' House is to see that nothing is done which is likely to be detrimental to the setting up of some form of constitutional government in Persia, because I regard the preservation of the integrity of Persia as of the most vital importance to the well-being and safety of our Indian Empire. 160 I ask, What chance is there of any free Constitution being set up in Persia if the Russian forces advance to Teheran? You cannot in Persia set up a free Constitution under the bayonets of a Power who certainly in the past have shown some desire to acquire great interest in that country. The Russian Government, in the Circular Note which appears in The Times to-day, state distinctly that they make this advance for the purpose of protecting their own Legation and subjects and European Legations and institutions generally. I should like to ask whether our representative in Teheran has made any request for protection, and, if so, has His Majesty's Government considered the advisability of affording protection themselves, or are they content to entrust the British representative and the lives and property of British subjects in Persia to the protection of a foreign Power?
§ My immediate object, as I have said, is to secure the setting up of a Constitution in Persia, and by so doing my ultimate object is to secure the prestige of our Indian Empire and the material interests of British Indian subjects in Persia. As we are aware, India at the present time is undergoing many difficulties. We have seen a great period of unrest, which we hope may have now ceased; but, at all events, it has been in existence. According to the best judges, that unrest has been due, I will not say entirely, but very largely, to the success of the Japanese over the Russians in the recent war. What will be the effect upon the Indian mind if now we show any weakness towards the Power which was defeated by Japan? As bearing upon that question, I would like to know whether any communications have passed between His Majesty's Government and the Indian Government in regard to our position in Persia.
§
One other question I should like to ask. In the Circular Note of the Russian Government, to which I have already referred, these words are used—
In this connexion we could not leave out of sight the fact that in the event of the Bakhtiari and revolutionaries entering Teheran the Russian and other European Legations and European institutions and subjects, as well as our road from Enzeli (on the Caspian Sea) to Teheran—
It is quite new to me that the Russian Government can claim to have any road in Persian territory, and I think it is a point upon which we ought to have some precise information from His Majesty's Government.
§ THE EARL OF CREWEMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for having postponed his Question from Thursday. I will now endeavour to answer it. We have no information to the effect that Russian troops are advancing from Tabriz. The Russian Government have decided, however, to send a force from Baku to Enzeli, with orders to advance as far as Kasvin, which is eighty-six miles from Teheran.
With regard to the quotation which has just been read, it occurs to me that when the word "road" is used it does not mean that the surface of the road is the property of Russia. What they desire to safeguard is the means of passing. There is, however, I understand, a possibility that these orders may be countermanded if negotiations which are proceeding with the leaders of the Bakhtiari and Nationalists are successful. The object of this measure—and that really deals with the point which I mentioned just now—would be to insure communication between Kasvin and the Caspian Sea. A further advance of a portion of this force would only take place if it became necessary to afford protection to foreign Legations, to the lives and property of Europeans, and to European institutions in Teheran. The commander of the troops is to receive categoric instructions to confine himself to the protection of foreign interests and to abstain from all interference in the internal struggle now in progress. On that the noble Lord asks whether there is any precedent for European interests being confided to a single European Power. I have not the knowledge of precedents which the noble Marquess on the Front Opposition Bench has; but I should imagine that there are numerous precedents—indeed, I think I could, if necessary, recall one or two in recent days.
Then the noble Lord asks about the proceedings of the Nationalist troops advancing from Kasvin and Kum. On that I have to say that we have no very recent information as to the state of public order at Resht or at Ispahan. According to our latest reports, Resht had remained quiet, while at Ispahan the cases of disorder, robbery, and drunkenness became more numerous towards the end of the stay of the Bakhtiari tribesmen in the town, while the state of the neighbouring country and roads has been deplorably bad. His Majesty's Government have received no expression of opinion, favourable or otherwise, from their Consular representa- 162 tives in those two towns as to the manner in which order has been preserved there by the Nationalist or by the Bakhtiari forces. We think, therefore, that it is not possible to affirm with certainty that if the capital were occupied by those forces the lives and property of Europeans in Teheran could be regarded as safe.
§ LORD LAMINGTONThe noble Earl has not answered my question whether our representative at Teheran has asked for protection—whether he is at all imbued with this great fear?
§ THE EARL OF CREWEThat is a difficult question to answer, but I have no doubt that our representative there would affirm the statement which I made as to the fact that it would be quite impossible to assert with certainty that, in the event of an occupation, an occupation which, presumably, would be of a violent character, the lives and property of Europeans would be respected.
§ LORD LAMINGTONIt seems a serious position that, without any direct demand made for protection, we are going to allow a great, a powerful, country to advance armed forces into a country where the situation is so critical at any time—a situation His Majesty's Government take credit to have safeguarded, to a great extent, by the Anglo-Russian Convention. What has happened to that Convention? There is nothing about safeguarding lives and property in that Convention. Now, without any request by our own people, we are going to allow an armed force to enter Teheran. That is very serious indeed. I do not know what further steps will be taken.
§ THE EARL OF CREWEI do not want to enter into an argument with the noble Lord, but he will remember that, within the last few weeks we ourselves landed a force of Bluejackets at Bushire in the Persian Gulf in order to protect life and property there.
§ LORD LAMINGTONYes, but that is not the capital.