CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924 — Page 78

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which appear to lend some force to the argument that unless the persons concerned or their fathers obtained the sanction of His Imperial Majesty the Shah to changing their nationality, they cannot be regarded as British subjects in Persia,

That this is also the view of the Government of India appears to be shown by the enclosed copy of a communication from Mr. Richey to the Persian Consul General at Bombay which was communicated to me by the Persian Government in support of its contentions in the case of Nemazi, though it appears to apply more approximately to the case of

Isfahani and Sons.

From enquiries I have ascertained that the date of the Persian Nationality Act appears to be 1895-6 and the terms are not stated to be retroactive.

I beg leave to draw Your Lordship's attention at this point to a third case which appears to have some

bearing on the cases in point.

The firm of Messre. Reza de Mehdi Hariri, Limited, of 21, Chorlton Street, Manchester, has recently sent

to His Majesty's Consul at Shiraz a letter of which i enclose herewith a copy notifying him of the formation of a British Limited Liability Company and asking for his assistance on behalf of Mr. Frank Hariri, who is described as a naturalised British subject. It seems probable from this communication that the object of forming a British company was to obtain the aesistance of His Majesty's Consular officers in Persia in the liquidation of outstanding debts due to them by Persian debtors, which are known to be many; and without precise knowledge of the right of the directors to claim such protection I have hesitated in face of the present Persian attitude to instruct Mr. Chick to assist Mr.

Frank Hariri actively.

The