ملف ١١٨٧/ ١٩١٤ الجزء ٢ "بلاد فارس - السياسة. المصالح البريطانية في الجنوب. السياسة الروسية" [و‎‎١‎٤‎٨] (٣٠٠/٤٣)

f
N). Cf. 482, dated Bushire, the 17th December 1914 (received 2nd January 1915)
(Confidential).
From—LiErTFNANT-CoLONEL S. G. Knox, C.I.E., on Special Duty, in the absence
of the Resident,
To—The Foreio-n Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreig-'n and Political
Department.
In continuation of this office letter No. Cf. 314 of 8th October, giving
cover to a despatch from Captain J. G. L. Ranking, His Majesty’s Vice-
Consul, Ahwaz, on the subject of the Lynch Road, I have the honour to
(1) His Majesty’s Vice-Consul, Ahwaz, to His Britannic Majesty’s forward, toi the information
Minister, Tehran, JS’o. 15—447, dated the 5th December iyi4. of the Government of India,
( 2 1 p * G - OoncrlHs, Esq., to His Majesty’s Vice-Consul, Ahwaz, copies of further COri’eSDOud-
dated the 11th November lyl4. ., . i - . ^
ence on this subject.
Enclosure Eo. 1.
No. 15—447, dated the 5th December 1914.
From—His Britannic Majesty’s Vice-Consul and Assistant Resident, Ahwaz,
To—His Excellency Sir Walter Townley, K.C.M.G., His Majesty’s Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of His
Imperial Majesty the Shah of Persia, Tehran.
In continuation of my despatch No. 27—174 (Camp), dated 31st August
1914, and my telegram No. 20—93, dated 30th November 1914, from Ahwaz, I
have the honour to forward herewith a further report, which, at my request,
Mr. Douglas lias submitted to me on the present state of the Lynch Road,
dealing with that portion of the road not dealt with together with a review of
certain points already dealt with, in his report, dated 4th August 1914. The
improvements reported done were effected in response to my letter to the
Sirdar-i-Jang, written in connection witli my despatch No. 1—46 (Camp), dated
2nd July 1914, to Your Excellency. I would call especial note to the state
of the anchorage of the Rul-i-Shalu, as noted by Mr. Douglas in his report,
and have already informed Mr. E. A. Wilson, Messrs. Lynch’s Ahwaz Agent,
of the danger of allowing it to remain without proper attention. Similarly, I
have warned both Mr. Wilson and the Sirdar-i-Jang of the fact that the
crown of the Brick Bridge at Dopulun is sinking and requires attention.
Since I last passed over the road, serais have been constructed at Kala
Tul, Gazin and Regheva, which is a slight improvement on the old order of
things, but, much requires yet to be done before road affairs can be said to be
in anything like satisfactory condition.
It will be noted that the total cost of repairs from Ahwaz to Ispahan is
now estimated at £7,300, and that the cost of converting the present caravan
road into a cart road would be £115,000, being a slight reduction on the
original estimate of £132,000; while the estimate for a light railway to
Malamir has been increased by £75,000, e.g., from 200,000 to 275,000.
Mr. Gillespie of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company having now arrived, I
am arranging to confer on the matter of the road with him and Messrs. Lynch’s
Agent, Mr. E. A. Wilson, with a view to seeing what, if any, joint action they
would be willing to take, and to discuss the general question of the road with
Mr. Wilson, in the light of the conference which I had with the Sirdar-i-
Jang, when in Malamir, en route to Ahwaz, this winter.
It being useless to trouble Your Excellency with the details of the
conference with the Sirdar-i-Jang alone, without being able to say how far
they may be modified by the views of either Mr. Wilson, Mr. Gillespie, or
both, I will, in a further despatch, inform Your Excellency of the result of
these conversations.
India, Fore* on REi/vRi
|Mo/ cj, M, dated
4: RiBiDib