1. 'File 86/1 VII (D 101) Kuwait Oil'

Description:

Abstract: The volume contains correspondence between the Political Agent at Kuwait (Harold Richard Dickson); Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); Officials in the India and Foreign Offices (including Sir Louis Kershaw, John Gilbert Laithwaite, George Rendel); the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ); the Air Ministry (Wilfred Ashton McLaughry); the Air Office Commanding, Iraq (Alexander Duncan Cunningham); and representatives of the Kuwait Oil Company (Frank Holmes, Archibald Chisholm), Arabian Development Syndicate, Anglo-Persian Oil Company, and Iraq Petroleum Company.The correspondence relates primarily to the Kuwait Oil Company's negotiation's with His Majesty's Government and the Shaikh of Kuwait for the Kuwait (also given as Koweit) Oil Concession, focusing on discussions around clauses in both the Commercial and Political Agreements and the Shaikh's concerns over how certain clauses may be perceived both within his own country and in neighbouring ones.Also discussed are developments in Saudi Arabia with regards to their share of the Nejd-Kuwait Neutral Zone Oil Concession, which was being competed for by the Standard Oil Company of California and the Arabian Development Syndicate, and the British Government's opinions on the situation and their intended approach with regards to the Kuwait share of the concession. The information relating to the Saudi Government's approach to the concession is relayed through letters and reports from Sir Andrew Ryan, HM Minister at Jedda, and contain details of his discussions with representatives of both the Saudi Government and the oil companies.The correspondence also includes a discussion relating to land at Shuwaikh, identified by the British Government for possible use as an air base, and includes negotiations over the cost of renting the site or the possibility of reserving it for future use. Also included are details of reconnaissance undertaken by the Air Officer Commanding for alternative sites, which was unsuccesful, and correspondence regarding the use of Kuwait Harbour for flying boats and the need to identify suitable locations in the Harbour for moorings.Physical description: Foliation: The volume has been foliated in the top right hand corner of the recto of each folio with a pencil number enclosed in a circle. The foliation sequence commences on the first folio after the front cover, with 1A and concludes on the back cover with number 246. Foliation anomalies: 1A-E.

2. 'File 86/1 I (D 73) Eastern and General Syndicate - Proposed Oil Concession in Kuwait'

Description:

Abstract: The volume covers the proposal by the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited for oil concessions in Kuwait (also spelled Koweit) which were to be negotiated on the Syndicate's behalf by Major Frank Holmes.Included within the volume are copies of the draft agreements and correspondence between the Syndicate, the Colonial Office, The Government of India, The Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, The Political Agent in Kuwait and the Sheikh of Kuwait with regards to the various clauses proposed in the agreements. The correspondence focuses primarily on clauses in the draft agreement which would permit the Syndicate to pass any concessions granted on to their American owners, and the concerns of both the Sheikh of Kuwait (Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) and the British Government over British companies operating in Kuwait.Further correspondence and documents of interest in the file include:Complete copies of the first and second proposed draft agreements, in English and Arabic with comments by British officials (folios 111-131 and folios 205-223). A further copy of the second draft, in English only and with annotations, is also included in the file (folios 6-24);Correspondence between the Political Agent; Political Resident, and the Colonial Office focusing on the importance of Kuwait's strategic position in the Gulf and the likelihood of a British Military and Naval base being required again in the country once Iraq becomes independent in 1932;Interest in re-acquiring leases for the areas of Shuwaikh, Ras-al-Ardh, al-Dasmah and al-Nigara in Kuwait for use by the Royal Navy and Air Force;Correspondence regarding drilling for water and the establishment of wells which Major Holmes has undertaken for the Shaikh of Kuwait and British suspicions that the well sites are being used for speculative oil drilling;Correspondence between the British Government and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (A.P.O.C) regarding their possible interest in the oil concession in Kuwait.Physical description: Foliation: The volume has been foliated in the top right corner of each folio with a pencil number. The foliation sequence runs from the first to last folios, the only exception being folio 194 which is located on the verso of folio 193.Foliation anomalies: 1A, 1B, 1C, 59A, 134A, 139A, 164A, 223A, 223BCondition: The volume no longer has a back cover or spine, and only part of the labelling for the spine remains.

3. 'File 86/1 VI (D 97) Kuwait Oil'

Description:

Abstract: The correspondence in the volume relates to three main areas of discussion:The Kuwait Oil Company's negotiations with the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, for the granting of an oil concession in Kuwait. Included within the volume are copies of both the draft concession agreement, in Arabic and English, (folios 16-27) and copies of the political agreement between His Majesty's Government and the Kuwait Oil Company (folios 57-65, 71-80 and 83-84) as well as correspondence regarding particular clauses within both agreements. Also included are records of interviews between Harold Dickson, Political Agent Kuwait, and the Shaikh of Kuwait, 25-26 February 1934, discussing the Shaikh's thoughts on the draft concession presented to him (folios 28-35). The Kuwait Oil Company's negotiations were handled by Major Archibald Chisholm and Major Frank Holmes.The British Government's concerns over an oil concession for the Nejd-Kuwait Neutral Zone, and particularly the possibility of an American company receiving the concession from the Saudi Government. The correspondence is primarily between the Foreign Office, India Office and the British Legation at Jedda and seeks to determine what the position is between the Saudi Government and the two interested parties in the Neutral Zone concession: the Standard Oil Company of California and the Arabian Development Syndicate. Also included in the volume are records of two meetings held at the India Office between Sir Louis Kershaw, Deputy Under Secretary of State, and representatives of the Foreign Office, Admiralty, India Office and Petroleum Department to discuss the oil concession in the Neutral Zone, ways of attempting to ensure that British owned company secures the concession, and the difficulties of jurisdiction and protection of employees within the zone itself (folios 89-97 and 125-128).Correspondence between the Air Ministry, Air Officer Commanding , the Political Agent Kuwait and the Shaikh of Kuwait regarding the lease of three sites within Kuwait: two at Jahra and Subaihiya [Şubayḩīyah] for use as landing grounds and one at Shuwaikh for use as an air base. The correspondence includes details of how the three sites are to be used and the conditions which the Shaikh of Kuwait places on their lease.The volume also contains file notes (folios 220-225) which list each individual item of correspondence received and its date.Physical description: Foliation: The volume is foliated with pencil numbers, enclosed in a circle, located in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. The foliation sequence runs from front to back covers. There is an earlier foliation sequence which uses uncircled numbers in the top right corner of each recto and runs intermittently from folios 2-30. The following foliation anomalies occur: 1A-1E, 16A, 27A, 56A, 57A, 128A, 186A. Folios 83 and 84 are fold-outs.Watermark: The watermark EllamS can be found on folios 60 to 65.

4. 'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate'

Description:

Abstract: The volume contains correspondence relating to the draft oil concession agreements presented to the Shaikh of Kuwait (Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) by the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (A.P.O.C.).The correspondence focuses particularly on the individual clauses within the two draft agreements and a comparison of them for the Shaikh in order that he can make an informed decision on which concession proposal is best for his country. The memorandum comparing the drafts is produced by the Petroleum Department of the British Government and two copies of it are contained in the volume (folios 48-64, 153-161).Also included in the volume is correspondence between the US Embassy in London and the Foreign Office regarding what the US embassy view as unacceptable delays in the amount of time it has taken the British Government to discuss the question of the Kuwait concession and repeating their concerns that the Eastern and General Syndicate will not be compared favourably alongside the British A.P.O.C. proposal. Also outlined by the Foreign Office are their fears that the Government's delays in responding to the US in this matter could potentially affect more serious negotiations in the future between the two countries.Other items of interest in the volume include:Letters from the Admiralty and the Army Council expressing their concerns over strategic and military assets in the Gulf should American interests be permitted to acquire the oil concession in Kuwait;Enquiries from the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to the Secretary of State for India asking if anything can be done to assist the Shaikh of Kuwait with his grievances regarding his date gardens in Iraq and Ibn Sa'ud's blockade;A letter from the Secretary of State, Foreign Office (on behalf of the Secretary for Mines) to the Director of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited outlining the history and background to an oil concession in Kuwait dating back to 1917 when A.P.O.C. first undertook preliminary examinations in Kuwait and Bahrain (folios 76-81);Details of proposals by A.P.O.C. to increase the financial offer of their concessionLetter from the Political Agent in Kuwait to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf regarding anti-A.P.O.C. and anti-British propaganda which is being circulated in Kuwait (folios 106-108).Physical description: Foliation: The principal foliation runs from the first folio to last folios and consists of numbers enclosed in a circle in the top right hand corner. A second former sequence commences on the first folio of writing and concludes on folio 173, consisting of pencil numbers (not circled) in the top right hand corner. This sequence has gaps. Foliation anomalies: 1A-1D, 21A, 162A

5. 'File 86/1 V (D 96) Kuwait Oil'

Description:

Abstract: The file discusses the granting of oil concessions in Kuwait and within the Kuwait-Nejd [Najd] neutral zone (herein referred to as the neutral zone), and contains correspondence and reports from the Political Agent, Kuwait; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the India Office; the Foreign Office; the Petroleum Department; the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (A.P.O.C.); the Standard Oil Company; the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited; the Kuwait Company and the Arabian Development Syndicate.The reports in the file provide background information on the various oil companies interested in the concessions, and their various attempts to secure these concessions as well as any involvement they have previously had with concessions in Bahrain and Kuwait. Also included in the reports are opinions on the granting of concessions in Nejd by Bin Saud (also given as Ibn Saud) [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] who held an equal right to any potential concession being granted in the Kuwait-Nejd neutral zone.From folio 34 onwards the correspondence centres primarily on the formation of the Kuwait Oil Company, which is formed by A.P.O.C. and the Gulf Oil Company in an attempt to secure their oil interests in Kuwait and includes draft copies of both their proposed commercial agreement for a concession with the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) (folios 109-119, 265-275, 303-314), and of their proposed political agreement with His Majesty's Government. Minutes of meetings held at the India Office December 1933-February 1934 to discuss the proposed agreements and potential amendments to the clauses within them are also included. Some of the correspondence from A.P.O.C. is written on the company paper, the letterhead for which gives the company's contact information in both English and Persian.Also included in the file are discussions on the formation of another new group, the Arabian Development Syndicate, which includes Abdulgani Ydlibi (also given as Abdul Ghani Adlibi), a Syrian from Manchester who secures authorisation from Ibn Saud to deal with oil and mineral rights within Nejd territory and who are interested in securing the concession for the neutral zone. There are also reports on this company from the British Consul in Jedda.The file also contains expressions of the British Government's attitude towards, and opinions of, Major Frank Holmes, who had formally been the Chief Local Representative for the Bahrain Petroleum Company and was being proposed as a negotiator for the new Kuwait Oil Company, but who was not considered 'persona grata' by the British Government. Folio 346, within the office notes. contains notes written by the Political Resident relating to Major Holmes, dated 18-23 November 1923, and expressing his opinion that Holmes would at some point return to the Gulf.Physical description: Foliation: The file is foliated with a pencil number enclosed in a circle located in the top right recto of each folio. The foliation starts on the first folio with numbering starting with 1A, 1B, 1c, 1D and runs through to 351 on the last folio with writing.There is also a second incomplete sequence, written in pencil, in the top right corner, starting with 1A on folio 1 and ending with 342 on folio 343.

6. 'File 86/1 II (D 78) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate'

Description:

Abstract: The volume continues on from IOR/R/15/1/638 in discussing a proposed Oil Concession for Kuwait which is negotiated by Major Frank Holmes on behalf of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited.The correspondence focuses on a proposed clause in the draft concession agreement, known as the 'Nationality Clause', which would prevent non-British companies from obtaining a concession in Kuwait, and which the Shaikh of Kuwait and His Majesty's Government wish to enforce, but which the Syndicate object to as they are American-owned.Central to the correspondence is a letter from Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, Shaikh of Kuwait, to Major Frank Holmes in which the Shaikh implies that he would be willing to forego the Nationality Clause if the British Government are willing for it to be omitted and thus transfers the onus of responsibility for the clause to His Majesty's Government (folio 35). This leads to substantial correspondence on the matter between the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the India Office and the Government of India, as well input from the Admiralty, Air Ministry and Petroleum Department over the need for such a clause and the military and strategic implications of non-British interests in Kuwait.Also included with this correspondence are letters between the Foreign Office and the US Embassy regarding the United States of America's concerns that Americans are being excluded from negotiating concessions in Kuwait, and their expectations that any concession in Kuwait should be on the same terms as those granted in Bahrain.Further correspondence and documents of interest include:A new draft agreement, drawn up following the decision to drop the Nationality Clause (folios 180-204);Copies of correspondence regarding the question of jurisdiction in Kuwait over non-Muslim foreign powers and referencing an agreement by the Shaikh of Kuwait in 1925 which granted the power of jurisdiction to His Majesty;s Government;The Senior Naval Officer's confidential proceedings of 31 May 1931: 'The status of the Islands of Farsi, Harkis, Al Kuran and Arifi';Correspondence relating to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company who are undertaking a geological survey of Kuwait and considering whether to apply for a concession;A letter by Colonel Dickson, Political Agent in Kuwait, detailing a conversation with Major Frank Holmes in which he outlines where he believes the oil to be in the Persian Gulf, and including, on folio 58, a sketch map of the three principal oil lines that Holmes believes to exist (folios 55-57);Proposed amendments to the clauses of Holmes second draft agreement (found in IOR/R/15/1/638), written before the agreement to drop the Nationality Clause was reached, written by Dr Fermor, Director of the Geological Survey of India (folios 114-126);A letter from the Air Ministry, 19 March 1932, requesting assurances that all possible steps will be taken to maintain the British position in the Gulf and highlighting the need to safeguard oil supplies as they are the main propellant of the RAF (folios 133-134);Memorandum by the Admiralty expressing their concerns over future complications which could arise in the Gulf and their strategic objections to potential oil supplies not being in British control, and outlining current arrangements for obtaining and protecting those supplies (folios169-173).Physical description: Foliation: The file has two sets of foliation; the principal foliation used in the catalogue starts on the first folio and concludes on the last and comprises pencil numbers enclosed in a circle located in the top right corner of the recto of each folio, excepting folios 159-162 where the numbers are not circled. The second foliation sequence is incomplete and covers the first folio of writing through to folio 211, with gaps in between. It comprises of pencil numbers (not circled) also located in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. From folios 100 onwards the numbers have been crossed through where they appear.Foliation anomalies: 3ACondition: The volume has been disbound

7. File 2834/1917 Pt 2 'SOUTH PERSIA RIFLES'

Description:

Abstract: The volume contains papers relating to expenditure on the South Persia Rifles and its dissolution in 1921.The principal correspondents are: the India Office; the Foreign Office; the Viceroy (Government of India), Foreign Department (later Foreign and Political Department), and Finance Department; Herman Norman, HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia [Iran], Tehran [also spelled Teheran in this file] (post held by Sir Percy Cox up to May 1920); the Secretary of State for India; Treasury Chambers; and the War Office.The papers notably cover and include the following:The discussion and apportionment of costs between the Government of India and HM (Imperial) Government in 1920 and 1921The position of the Government of India regarding the South Persian Rifles, notably its: view that half the cost of the unit cannot legitimately be charged to its revenue; desire in October 1919 to be entirely relieved of the financial liability for the unit (see ff 416, 409); complaint that the heavy burden of expenditure (taxation) in Persia is unpopular in India especially in the Legislative Council and Assembly and the newspapers; protest at making further payments beyond 31 December 1920; and desire to steer the Persian Government gradually towards taking over financial support of the unit reorganised on a more economically affordable basisBritish concerns regarding the Persian Government’s ability to afford the cost of maintaining the unit should the British withdraw financial supportConsideration of the potential scale of Bolshevik (Soviet Russian) influence in north-west Persia, and the particular consequences of withdrawal of the British troops from that area concurrent to a dismantling of the South Persian Rifles, and the need to continue British financial support of the Cossack Division [Cossack Brigade] in north PersiaTensions between the India Office and the Foreign Office regarding expenditure on the maintenance of the South Persia Rifles, initially up to 31 December 1920 and subsequently up to 31 March 1921, and the India Office and Government of India’s refusal to contribute funds for the unit beyond 31 March 1921 (see ff 332-333)Norman’s repeated claims, with the general concurrence of the Foreign Office, that disbanding the unit without six months’ notice would be logistically fraught and have serious adverse political consequences, including: the conversion of ‘a body of more or less disciplined soldiery into a horde of unpaid and uncontrolled bandits’ (f 280); undermining the security of Shiraz and Kerman; and threats to British banking and commercial interests (see notably ff 366, 353, 303-304, 279-281, 161)A memorandum dated 17 February 1921 by Sydney Armitage Armitage-Smith, Financial Adviser to the Persian Government, regarding the Imperial Bank of Persia’s view on its future position in the country and with regard to the floating debt of the Persian Government (ff 310-312)Discussion of the possibility of unspent money received by the Persian Government from the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) being used to support the South Persian RiflesThe offer of the APOC to finance the Persian Government (on account of future royalties payable by them to the Persian Government), on condition of a British Financial Adviser having general control of Persian finances and the maintenance of the South Persian Rifles (ff 292-301)The apparent policy intentions of the new Persian Government (following a coup d’état 21 February 1921) notably with regard to military arrangements, including Norman’s scheme of organisation for a reduced South Persia Rifles following an indication from the British Consul in Shiraz that the new Government wishes to take over the unit (ff 270-272, 258-266)India Office minute paper dated March 1921, entitled ‘S P R. Incidence of expenditure’, detailing the history of the unit from its formation in 1916, and concluding that the department has always supported the Government of India in refusing to contribute to its maintenance after 31 March 1921, ‘a decision which was definitely taken, and communicated to the Foreign Office, on 1st Oct 1920, i.e. with six months’ notice’ (ff 247-253)The Treasury’s agreement to contribute £225,000 for the South Persia Rifles with a view to its ultimate disbandment or incorporation into the Persian Army (f 229), and the non-participation of the Government of India in the expenseArrangements proposed by the Persian Government for absorption of the unit into the Gendarmerie (ff 208-209), June 1921Financial arrangements for the winding up of the South Persian Rifles, notably in connection with the transfer of stores and equipment to the Persian Government, payment of officers and other personnel, and monetary losses to be born regarding stores left behindNorman’s continued opposition, July 1921, to disbandment of the unit, and fears about the loss of British influence, alleging: anti-British activities of Bolshevik representation in northern Persia; possible security threats to oil fields (f 161) and telegraph lines (f 155); and the new Government’s untrustworthiness and Anglophobia (ff 155-157). Norman also expresses support for the APOC loan proposal to the Persian Government for the next three months partly to prevent similar loans being tendered by US corporations such as Standard OilThe winding-up and adjustment of the accounts of the unit, 1922-23, including inter-departmental contention over specific sums of money.The papers comprise a mixture of printed, typescript and manuscript documents and mostly consist of: India Office minute papers with manuscript notes; India Office draft letters and draft telegrams; India Office Secret and Political Department registry covering papers including the subject and notes by department officials; covering letters of the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India, with related enclosures; original and copy letters; and copies of telegrams.At the front of the volume is a Political and Secret Department divider which gives the subject number and part number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 437; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 148-163, ff 309-312, and ff 340-347; these numbers are also written in pencil.

8. File 2834/1917 Pt 1 'PERSIA: SOUTH PERSIA RIFLES STATUS &c'

Description:

Abstract: The volume contains papers relating to the South Persia Rifles, including its organisation, costs, control, role and status.The principal correspondents are: the India Office; the Foreign Office; the Viceroy (Government of India), Foreign Department, Finance Department, and Army Department; the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign and Political Department; Brigadier-General Sir Percy Sykes, Inspector-General (later General Officer Commanding), South Persia Rifles; Sir Charles Murray Marling, HM Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Persia [Iran], Tehran [also spelled Teheran in this file]; the War Office; and Treasury Chambers.The papers notably cover and include (roughly in the order they appear in the volume):The provision of barrack accommodation in Shiraz and KermanApportionment of the costs of the South Persia Rifles between the Government of India and HM (Imperial) GovernmentEstimated expenditure on the force 1916-17, 1917-18 and 1918-19The frustration of government departments in London with the high level of Sykes’s expenditure and his lack of detailed estimates (ff 336-338)Arrangements for a proposed School for Persian OfficersThe appointment of a financial adviser from the Indian Finance Department to Persia to assist Sykes (ff 330-334)Discussions regarding options for the control and supervision of the force with regard to organisation, distribution and handling, and the role of the Government of India Army Department, HM Government and HM Minister in TehranThe position and function of the Inspector-General (Sykes) regarding political matters, including Marling’s letter to Sykes, June 1917, cautioning him not to interfere in the work of HM Consul at Shiraz and ‘impressing on [Sykes] the necessity of abstaining from overtly assuming a political role’ (ff 253-256)Printed copy of Sir Percy Sykes’s provisional scheme of organisation for the South Persia Rifles, forwarded to Marling, dated 26 May 1917 (ff 234-249)The future role of the South Persia Rifles in British policy in Persia, particularly in the context of the current Persian Government and Persian public opinion in October 1917 (ff 221-222, 226-227)Printed copy of Sir Percy Sykes ‘final scheme’ of organisation for the South Persia Rifles, forwarded to Marling, dated 17 August 1917, (ff 156-204)The supply of guns and equipment for the unit and the question of the method of paymentPrinted copy of Sir Percy Sykes’s budget estimate for the South Persia Rifles for 1917-18, forwarded to the Chief of the General Staff, Delhi, dated 17 October 1917 (ff 30-99).The papers comprise a mixture of printed, typescript and manuscript documents and mostly consist of: India Office minute papers with manuscript notes; India Office draft letters and draft telegrams; India Office Secret and Political Department registry covering papers including the subject and notes by department officials; covering letters of the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India, with related enclosures; and copies of letters and telegrams.At the front of the volume is a Political and Secret Department divider which gives the subject number and part number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 404; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Multiple intermittent additional foliation/pagination sequences are also present.

9. File 2834/1917 Pt 4, 'South Persia Rifles: - General correspondence regarding disbandment. Disposal of arms, ammunition, stores etc.'

Description:

Abstract: This item relates to the disbandment of the South Persia Rifles, including attempts (in the opinion of the India Office) of the Foreign Office and HM Minister in Tehran to prolong its existence, and the disposal of arms, ammunition, equipment and medical stores.The principal correspondents are: Herman Norman, HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia [Iran], Tehran (up to September 1921); the Foreign Office; the India Office; the Viceroy (Government of India), Foreign and Political Department; and Reginald Francis Orlando Bridgeman, diplomat, British Legation in Tehran (from October 1921).The papers notably cover and include the following:Admiralty memorandum arguing that disbandment may lead to a breakdown in law and order in the southern provinces creating a threat to naval fuel supplies from south Persia oil fields (f 152)A suggestion by the High Commissioner of Mesopotamia [Iraq] that the Anglo-Persian Oil Company be approached to advance funds to the British Financial Advisor to the Persian Government, in order to maintain the unit and so prevent ‘disorder and riot’ ensuing in south Persia’ (f 154)Norman’s negotiations with the Persian Prime Minister regarding the latter’s possible takeover of the South Persia Rifles, including the refusal of the Medjliss [Majlis, Iranian Parliament] to accept six-month contracts with British officers; Norman’s and the Foreign Office’s outright rejection of a new proposal by the Persian Prime Minister which is considered ‘impudent’ (ff 168-169); and decision to accelerate the disbandment considering the lack of funds for the unitThe Foreign Office’s rejection of a suggestion that the Governor-General of Isfahan [also spelled Ispahan in this item] (or Bakhtiyārī Khān) be allowed to acquire arms and ammunition of the South Persia Rifles (f 178)Copies of communications between Norman and the Persian Prime Minister, June-July 1921, in which the latter requests that the British Government: continue to finance the unit for another three to four months until other European (Swedish) officers can take over from British ones; and give Persia the stores and arms gratis (ff 113-115, 122-129)A revised offer of the Persian Government, conveyed by Norman September 1921, to take over the remaining South Persia Rifles, without British and Indian officers and officials, pay its expenses out of its own revenues and buy its arms and stores from the British Government on concessionary terms (ff 107-109), and Norman’s intimation that refusal could turn Persian public opinion against Britain and lead to disorder in southern Persia (the proposal is rejected by the British Government)Norman’s insistence that the order for the destruction of the Isfahan detachment’s arms is suspended and they are conveyed through ‘Bakhtiari country’ to Ahwaz [Ahvaz] for ‘future eventualities’, and the British Government’s refusal to sanction the ‘sale of arms or munitions to any tribesmen including Bakhtiaris’ (ff 86-87)A report from the Kerman Consular Officer, conveyed by Norman 24 September 1921, regarding disorders and robberies on a large scale in the province of Fars allegedly resulting from news of the impending disbandment of the unit (f 77)A proposal for the disposal of the medical stores of the South Persia Rifles at Kerman to the Medical Officer of the Church Missionary Society Mission, including the agreement of the Viceroy of India for their transfer as a gift or purchase at concessional rates and the Treasury’s view that the Mission should instead be charged a (higher) ‘fair price’ (ff 119, 67, 23)A South Persia Rifles proposal in October 1921, supported by Bridgeman, British Legation in Tehran, to sell 700 rifles and ammunition, equipment and animals for a small force in Fars to help avert disorder in the region and prevent ill-feeling against the departing British who may otherwise destroy the remaining arms and equipment, including support of the Government of India and India Office, and agreement of the Foreign Office for their use in Fars despite the ‘recent attitude of the Persian Government and Persian public opinion’ towards Britain (ff 58-64, 69-75)A request, October-November 1921, of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company to purchase from the disbanding unit 300 rifles, and Bridgeman’s dismissal of a rumour that the company plans to recruit 300 more guards for its operations in Kashgai (ff 25-33)Report by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf on the arrival in Bushire [Bushehr] of the last convoy of South Persia Rifles from Shiraz, 9 November 1921, in which he details an attack on the garrison at Kazerun and expresses concerns for the future security of the Bushire-Shiraz and Bandar Abbas-Kerman roads, (ff 15-20)Foreign Office response to questions submitted by Sir Charles Yate MP regarding the terms on which the men of the South Persian Rifles have been disbanded, details of the disposal of equipment, guns and stores, the costs of the evacuation, and potential recompense to the Government of India for its expenditure on the force (ff 7-12).The papers comprise a mixture of printed, typescript and manuscript documents and mostly consist of: copy telegrams, copy letters, covering letters of the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India, with related enclosures; India Office Political Department registry covering papers including the subject and notes by department officials; India Office minute papers with manuscript notes; India Office draft letters and draft telegrams; original and copy letters.Physical description: 1 item (184 folios)