"السكك الحديدية وسياسة [خطوط الاتصالات]، بلاد الرافدين. المجلد III" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٨] (٥٤٩/٣٣٦)

1.
SECRET.
From : - G.O.C* Mesopotamia.#
To*- D.G.M.R•
Eespatoheil 21.2 5 9 .12 0 18 .
^ Received 08.55 11.12,10.
Y ? 4,5 43.
I forward at General De Candollo’s request the
following telegram which expresses his opinions. I do not agree
with some of them but I prefer not to send you my views until
some indication of policy in the future as regards
(1) the area to be controlled by us (2) Persia (3) the future
of the I.'/'.T.
Begins I have calculated, that rive r navigation can handle
for at least 5 years all Basrah Baghdad traffic. On that basis
I have submitted to the General Officer C. in C. some
reasoned notes on transportation in Mesopotamia. In these
I reach the conclusion that the following would b^ best plan,
.•St ultimate aim should be ( 1 ) only standard gauge to west of
* GlluC^ue-
the River Tigris and only (? groups emitted) gauge to east.
( 2 ) to abandon unproductive direct standard gauge to Mosul ( 3 ) to
ley standard gauge Basrah to Hillah (4) subsequently to extend
standard gauge up Euphrates to connect with Mediterranean (5)
to lay metre gauge from Qizil hubat via Ki fri Kirkuk A1 tun-Keupri
and Erbil to Mosul ($) when possible to extend metre gauge to
Suleiman!yeh and into Persia and subsequently from Altun-Keupri
to Tabriz.
Secondly immediate construction should be to take up Shaibah
Nasiriyah and Kut El Amarah Baghdad branches both of which were
laid on merely provisional alignments thus leaving suffi eie nt
..rails end rolling stock to lay and efficiently operate following
additional definite lires (l) standard gauge from Hillah to
Sam aw a (2) metre gauge to Khanaqin (3) metre gauge on one or
other of following alternatives for which surveys should be
started at once (a) either from Qizil Rub at to Mosul via Altun
Keupri or (b) F^m Qizil Rabat to Altun Koupri with branch to