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'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [‎158r] (349/631)

The record is made up of 2 volumes (334 folios). It was created in 28 Jan 1911-19 Jan 1912. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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._Afa ia Di;eame. ■<, is Ae "roperty of H;.s Brit annic Majesty's Goverameiit j
t'ASTKRN DEl'ARTM'ENT. [March 20 ]
SECRET SERIES. SlOTIOK g
[10017] No. 1.
Q- Lowther to Sir Edward — 20,)
(JSfo. 170.)
^ir •
' ' i att Constantinople, March 15, 1911.
^ on > our to forward herewith a despatch from His Majesty's vice-
consul at Adana reporting on the delay which has occurred in the construction of the
Bagdad Railway line near Adana.
I have, &c.
GERARD LOWTHER.
Enclosure in No. 1.
1 ice-Consul Smith to Sir G. Lowther.
Adana, March 6, 1911.
I HAVE the honour to report that during the first few days of this month, owing
to the Seihun River being in flood, a considerable amount of damage has been done to
the works which are being carried on for the construction of the Bagdad Railway
bridge over the river at Adana. The floods were not so severe as last year and, except
to the bridge, little damage has been done.
In order to transport material to the east bank of the river, for the construction
of the sections to Missis and beyond, a temporary bridge carrying the line had been
built, supported by two stone piers and a large number of wooden trestles. Fifty
yards above this the permanent bridge (iron girder supported by concrete piers) was in
course of construction, and the work was well advanced when the flood came. The
temporary bridge has now been entirely swept away, and part of the frame-work of
the permanent bridge was also carried away. The damage done is said to amount to
from 4,000/. to 8,0001., and it is expected that the destruction of the bridge will con
siderably delay work on the line to the east of the river. There is now no means of
transporting material to that side except by the town bridge, a detour of about
miles, by which cart transport alone is possible.
It is said that the engineers do not propose to reconstruct the temporary bridge,
but to proceed as fast as possible with the construction of the permanent one. I hope
in a short time to be able to report more fully on the progress made in the construction
of the railway.
1 have, &c.
IAN M. SMITH.
[1932 w—6]

About this item

Content

The volume contains correspondence, memorandums, and newspaper cuttings relating to a proposed Baghdad to Basra railway, an extension of the German Berlin to Baghdad Railway. Much of the correspondence has been forwarded to the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. by the Foreign Department of the Government of India and is between Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Francis Bertie, British Ambassador to France, Louis Mallet, Assistant Under-secretary of State for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs, Charles Marling, British Ambassador to Persia, Arthur Nicolson, Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Henry Babington Smith, President of the National Bank of Turkey, Gerard Lowther, British Ambassador to Constantinople, Rifaat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Edgar Speyer, railway financier, George Buchanan, British Ambassador to Russia, Edward Goschen, British Ambassador to Berlin, Henry Cumberbatch, British Consul General in Turkey, George Barclay, British Minister to Persia, the Board of Trade, and William Graham Greene, Permanent Secretary to the Board of Admiralty. There is also correspondence between Percy Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bushire, Rear-Admiral Edmond Slade, Stuart Knox, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain, and William Shakespear, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait.

The volume covers the discussions prior to formal negotiations between Britain and the Ottoman Turks brought about by the Baghdad Railway and its proposed extension to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The issues and subjects involved are:

  • the proposed route of the railway;
  • control and ownership of the section between Baghdad and Basra;
  • location of the terminus, and who will control it, including Slade's report (ff. 64-74) on the suitability of Basra;
  • a proposed increase to customs duty in the region;
  • irrigation of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers;
  • the contract to transport rail materials by the rivers;
  • the status of Kuwait, particularly regarding Turkish and British suzerainty and influence.

Throughout the volume there are newspaper cuttings from English periodicals that relate to the Baghdad Railway and negotiations around it.

Folio 47 is a rough sketch map of the peninsula Ras Tanurah. Folio 230 is a fold-out map of the proposed route of the railway and irrigation of the rivers.

Extent and format
2 volumes (334 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged chronologically. At the beginning (folios 2-5) is a subject index. It is in no particular order and organised under a few broad headings. The numbers refer to folio numbers of the secondary, earlier sequence.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The file consists of two volumes (parts one and two) and the foliation runs through both. The main foliation sequence commences at the title page of part one and terminates at the fifth folio from the back of part two; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be predominantly found in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A second foliation sequence runs between ff. 8-291A; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence. There are the following irregularities: 7 and 7A; 13 and 13A; 15 and 15A; 16, 16A and 16B; 17 and 17A; 18, 18A and 18B; 20, 20A and 20B; 21, 21A and 21B; 52, 52A, 52B, 52C; 53, 53A, 53B and 53C; 54, 54A, 54B and 54C; 55, 55A and 55B; 56, 56A and 56B; 57 and 57A; 290 and 290A.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [‎158r] (349/631), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/610, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023839675.0x00008f> [accessed 23 November 2024]

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