ABSTRACT
Anglo-Russian understanding would reassure France and in good time allow Russia to become the arbiter of peace and conciliation in Europe. Benckendorff wanted to begin a new era in Anglo-Russian relations by sweeping the negotiating table of all petty irritants, asking Iswolsky, for example, to put an end to the secret polices stealing or copying British embassy files. Spring Rice understood that Persia was a means not the goal in Anglo-Russian convention but he kept warning Grey of Britains imminent loss of prestige and positions in Persia because of the Anglo-Russian arrangement. The Anglo-Russian negotiations stalled when British introduced the statement about the status quo in the Persian Gulf in the preamble to the Persian convention. Benckendorff was present at the meeting between Nicolson and Iswolsky, where Iswolsky in principle accepted the British draft of Tibet settlement and presented the Russian draft proposal on Persia, including the line between the zones of influence and maintaining existing concessions in respective zones.
