§ Major GLYNasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of his recent statement that it is the policy of His Majesty's Government to maintain the integrity and independence of Persia, it is proposed to withdraw the British force operating on the Bushire-Shiraz road, whose presence is said to be obnoxious to the Persian people and has formed the subject of a protest by the Persian Government?
Mr. HARMSWORTHYes, Sir; the British force in question was originally sent with great reluctance to South Persia in view of urgent military requirements necessitated in a large measure by the activity of certain enemy agents who were engaged during the War in inciting the j tribesmen in Fars to acts of hostility against us. In the absence of any effective Persian forces in those districts, the presence of British troops was essential.44W As, however, the situation in Persia has greatly improved since the collapse of the Central Powers, it has already been possible to reduce largely the British forces there, and it is hoped that all those in Fars may be withdrawn as soon as possible.