"الملف 73/7 I (D 19) وضع الكويت، سكة حديد بغداد، والمفاوضات الأنجلو تركية في ١٩١١" [و‎‎١‎٦] (٦٣١/٤٧)

TW^' 4o^/v i
THE POTSDAM MEETING.
FRANCE AND RIFAAT PASHA'S
STATEMENT.
(from oub own coerespondent. )
PARIS, J an. 2!!.
The first accounts of Rifaat Pasha's statement
in the Ottoman Chamber yesterday have
attracted considerable attention in France,
especially the Turkish Foreign Minister's refe
rences to the declarations which were made
to the Porte by the German Ambassador with
regard to the scope of the Russo-German
Agreement. It is noted that Rifaat Pasha
stated that " Germany recognizes the special
interests of Russia in Northern Persia," and
that this fact does not signify that Germany
disputes Turkish interests in Persia.
The Temps this evening observes that, if
the German Ambassador at Constantinople
declared to the Porte that Articles 2, 3, and 4
of the Agreement as published by a London
evening journal were incorrectly reproduced,
the only fuit^rej^ic portion of 'the ipufoVphed
text would tie Article 1, relating to Russia's
attitude with regard to the Baghdad Railway.
In the opinion of your Paris contemporary,
" it remains to be seen whether Baron von
Marschall's denial applies, as we believe, only
to the form and letter of the text published
in London, or whether it likewise applies to
the substance of that publication." The Temps
learns independently from Constantinople that,
according to some accounts, the German
Ambassador denied the authenticity merely
of Articles 3 and 4, in which Germany pledges
herself not to promote the construction of
railways north of Khanikin and recpgnizes
Russian interests in Persia. Article 2, the
authenticity of which, according to these
local accounts. Baron von Marschall did not
deny, relates to the linking up of the Baghdad
Railway with the Persian railway system via
Sadidje and Khanikin. It is further pointed
out that, while Rifaat Pasha declares that the'
German Ambassador has denied the authenticity
of Article 4 of the published text, the Turkish
Foreign Minister states that Germany recognizes
the special interests of Russia in Northern
Persia. But the recognition of these interests
by Germany is precisely the purport of Article 4.
THE DEBATE IN THE TURKISH
CHAMBER.
CONSTANTINOPLE, J an . 22.»
The debate in the Chamber yesterday on the
Potsdam interview was opened by the Syrian
Deputy, Shefik Mayyad, who provoked frequent
rnterruptiona owing to the nature of his speech.
The President was obliged to intervene to correct
an expression he used—namely, " the Arab
Khalifa to," remarking " There is only one
Khalifate, namely the Islamic." The correction
was greeted with a salvo of applause, in which
the Arab Deputies joined.
The next speaker was Ferid Bey, who, in an
able speech which was warmly applauded, re
viewed the whole position. He criticized the
apparent apathy of the Government in a ques
tion of vital importance to the country, and
pointed to the Potsdam interview as wounding
the national amour propra. Quoting a recent
publication of the alleged text of the Russo-
German understanding, he argued that it was a
consequence of the Anglo-Russian Agreement of
1907 and resembled that agreement. He sub
mitted that the recent declarations of Baron
Marschall von Bieberstein, the German Ambassa
dor, contradicted nothing, while Russia had
remained silent.
Rifaat Pasha, Minister for Foreign Affairs,
thereupon read a statement to the following
effect;—-
The Potsdam interview, to judge from what
had become known, exclusively concerned the
recognition of Russia's special interest in
Northern Persia by Germany,wliile safeguarding
the open door and the junction of the Khanikin
Baghdad line with the prospective railway in
Northern Persia and the maintenance of the
status quo. M. Sazonoff had made a similar
declaration to the Ottoman Ambassador in St.
PeterBburg. Subsequently, however, the publi
cation of the alleged Russo-German Agreement
had aroused doubts, but the assurances of Baron
von Marschall, who had promised to supple
ment them in a couple of days, had calmed their
fears. Rifaat Pasha added that the integrity
of Persia was a matter of capital importance to
| Turkey. The Russo-German pourparlers were
1 continuing, but Turkey did not admit that the
1 upshot would inflict injury upon her rights and
sentiments.
M The Minister denied the existence of pourti
fbarlers between Germany and Great Britairi
fen the subject of the Baghdad Railway, adding;
Ihat, according to an assurance received, such;
pourparlers would only take place with Turkey. ■
T he P ersian G ulf.
Referring to the rumours concerning the
position in the Persian Gulf, Rifaat Pasha de
clared that the integrity of Turkey's sovereign
rights in those regions was unquestionable.
The relations of Turkey and Great Britain were
marked by the greatest cordiality, and the
questions that might exist between the two
countries would be solved by negotiations based
on mutual confidence, not by newspaper articles.
Summing up, the Minister for Foreign Affairs
said that there had been no decision at Potsdam
in reference to Turkey's political and economic
interests or the military position in the eastern
Erovmces of Asia Minor, and that Germany,
aving recognized Russia's interests in Northern
Persia, could not be regarded as not recognizing
Turkey's important interests in the same
country. He declared that he would gladly
accept" the co-operation of foreign capital for
the construction of railways, but he desired to
prevent economic undertakings from developing
into zones of political influence. He assured
the Chamber that all enterprises not conform
ing to the above essential rule would be rejected.
The statement was received with applause.
Oaily Circulation Five Times an
Large as That of Any Pcim#
London Morasng Journal.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 1911.
THE OUTLOOK.
Turkey and the Bagdad
Railway,
Now that Russia has withdrawn her oppo-
.sition to tbo Bagdad Railway and has made
ten us with Germany in the Near East we are
broi Tht a stage nearer to the problem of the
proposed tenniaus of the railway on the
Pensi m €rulf. As long as we could eqiint on
the Ui ited support of- Russia and France wo
were content with a waiting policy. Railways
cannot be built merely by graiitittg oouces-
sione, and while the purses of Europe were
shi against the Bagdad Railway fcharc was
always the prospect of compromise under
financial pressure. Germany has micceeded
'in loosing the" puree strings. That is-one effect
of the Russo-German agreement. Nothing
can be gained by pretending to ignore it.
Great Britain must soon face the situation and
■ us-t decide whether or not she will consent to
have a Gerir an railway terminus on the Persian
Gulf and the flank of India. This is a ques
tion that ritally concerns our imperial and
commercial interests, and until the people of
this countr ■ recognise its supreme importance
there is danger of drifting into ' a - position
from which it-will be difficult to-extricate our
selves peacefull-.
Our present " losition is plain. While we
•knowledge thv suzerain rights of the Otto
man Governmeit over Koweit, the proposed
terminus of the railway on. the Persian Gulf,
we claim both t eaty and prescriptive rights
ver this littor 1. These rights have been
uii-ed by raor > than a century of effort and
critiee in mafi Gaining the peace of the Gulf.
The Britisii ^-ernment has neither the wish
nor the intention to deny the interests of
Turkey in this remote fringe, ofVhs Ottoman
Empire. That is cleftriv established by the
fact, recorded by our correspondent in Con-
srfentinopie yesterday, that tho British
Government is prepared to accept the good
offices of the Ottoman Government in solving
the problem of,'the terminus. From the stand
point of interpatkmal law the Bagdad Railway
is a Turkish railway leased so Germany for a
number of years and under certain conditions.
It is therefore to the interests of the Ottoman
Empire to see thalj the terminus is an effective
terminus and that the success of the railway
is not imperilled by a bittej- international dis
pute between Great Britain and Germany.
The Turkish Government has the power, if it
has the 'will, to, clear the way for a settlement.
The moment is opportune, and we hope that
the Government in Constantinople will respond
without delay to our friendly invitation.