IOR/L/PS/10/366

The file is concerned with growing German competition to British trade in the Persian Gulf, and discussions around possible responses from the British authorities to protect Britain's trade and geopolitical interests. In particular, it is concerned with the joint workings of the Hamburg-America Line and Messrs R Wonckhaus and Company; British officials believe that the German firms are in receipt of subsidies from the German Government, which prevent British firms from competing with them on a commercial basis. Germany's new monopoly over the export of Belgium sugar from Antwerp to the Persian Gulf, her growing share of the export trade in barley and grain from Persia, and her inroads into the export trade from Manchester, being of particular concern to British planners.

Much discussion in the file therefore centres on whether or not the British should introduce subsidies to assist British firms against their German counterparts. The principal firms discussed in the file are the British India Steam Navigation Company, Frank C Strick and Company, and various subsidiaries of Ellerman Lines. However, the file also covers the subject of lighterage (or lightering) across the Persian Gulf; this includes discussion over whether efforts should be made to facilitate the establishment of a British company to provide lighterage services across the Persian Gulf.

The main correspondents are officials of the Board of Trade (mainly George J Stanley), the Foreign Office, the India Office, and the Government of India; along with significant input from the Persian Gulf Political Resident (Sir Percy Cox, John Gordon Lorimer, and Stuart George Knox), the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey), the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, HM Minister at Tehran (Sir Walter Townley), HM Consul at Mohammerah (Lionel Haworth), HM Consul-General at Antwerp (Sir Cecil Hertslet), and Lord Inchcape (Kenneth Mackay).

Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.