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'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [239v] (486/540)
The record is made up of 1 volume (268 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1911-26 Dec 1912. It was written in English, French and Arabic. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
90
forward to you the accompanying note in amplification of the annex to the memo
randum which the Board understand was handed to the Turkish Ambassador on the
18th July. It will be recollected that the annex in question related to the desires
of His Majesty^s Government with regard to the customs duties to be levied in the
Ottoman dominions upon certain classes of cotton yams and manufactures, and the
note now enclosed sets out the views of the Board as to the modification of the gene
ral rate at 15 per cent, ad valorem to be asked for in respect of these classes of goods.
The Board would suggest, subject to Sir E. Grey's approval, that a copy of this
note should be sent to the Turkish Ambassador as containing the information
promised in the final paragraph of the annex above alluded to.
I am, etc.,
H. LLEWELLYN SMITH.
[E nclosure.] ^
Note communicated hy Board of Trade.
In an annex to the memorandum handed to the Turkish Ambassador on the
18th July, it was indicated that a further memorandum would shortly be presented
embodying the views of His Majesty's Government with regard to the customs treat
ment of certain classes of cottons yarns and manufactures on importation into
a matter to which they attach great importance in connection with any arrange
ment between the two Governments for the increase of the present rate of the
Turkish customs duties.
His Majesty's Government understand that the Turkish Government propose a
general increase from 11 to 15 per cent, ad valorem, and that this is desired not as a
measure of protection for native industry, but solely as a means of increasing the
Turkish revenue. His Majesty's Government, therefore, think it right to point
out that the great bulk of the present trade between the two countries in cotton
yarns and piece-goods is a trade in articles of a cheap description suited to the
needs of a large body of consumers of limited means, and that, after careful
enquiry, they are advised that an increase of duty from 11 to 15 per cent, on these
articles would certainly cause either a diminution in the volume of the trade on
account of the increase of price or a deterioration in the quality of the goods in order
to retain the market, and that most probably it would have both these effects in
varying degrees according to the class of goods. This being to, the Ottoman
Government will realise that the proposed increase of duty must fail to yield
a corresponding increase of revenue, since it will be levied on a smaller volume
of goods of lower average value.
In these circumstances. His Majesty's Government suggest that the interests
both of the Turkish revenue, of the consuming population in Turkey, and of British
manufacturers would be best met by limiting the increase of duty on cotton yarns
and piece-goods to 2 per cent., viz., from 11 to 13 per cent, ad valorem. In making
this proposal, His Majesty's Government think it desirable to call attention to the
fact that British trade with Turkey is considerably greater than that of any other
country, with the result that the burden inflicted by the proposed increase of Tur
kish duties will fall much more heavily on British manufacturers and traders than
on those of any other nationality. His Majesty's Government do not of course
suggest that any special treatment should be accorded to British goods, which is
not at the same time extended to similar goods of all nationalities, but they urge
that the facts to which they have called attention^ justify the most favourable
treatment by Turkey of the classes of goods in which British trade is predominant
ly interested, especially'since there is ground for believing that the interests of
British trade are in this matter in accordance with those of the Turkish Govern
ment and people.
(Copy sent informally to the Army Department for transmisson to the Division
of the Chief of thejStaff.)
About this item
- Content
The volume contains letters, telegrams, and memorandums pertaining to Anglo-Turkish negotiations brought on by the Baghdad Railway and particularly the extension to Basra. Correspondents include: 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, 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, Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Louis Mallet, Assistant Under-secretary of State for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs, Charles Marling, British Ambassador to Persia, Gerard Lowther, British Ambassador to Constantinople, George Buchanan, British Ambassador to Russia, Admiral Edmond Slade, the Board of Trade, the Government of India, the 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. , and several private companies, including Trans-Atlantic Trust Company, Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Imperial Ottoman Bank, and Imperial Persian Bank.
The form of the negotiations was a series of memorandums containing proposals and counter-proposals. The issues and subjects discussed are:
- ownership and control of the line;
- custom duty increases in the region;
- navigation of the Shatt al-Arab, including the establishment of a commission to oversee this;
- transport of railway materials by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers;
- delimitation of the Turkish-Persian border;
- status and territorial limit of Kuwait;
- other Gulf matters, including the statuses of Bahrain and Qatar, the suppression of arms traffic, piracy, and slavery, and the protection of pearl fisheries.
Folios 261-262 are a map showing the proposed territorial limits of Kuwait.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (268 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically. At the beginning (ff. 3-4) is a subject index, in no particular order but grouped under several broad headings. The numbers refer to folio numbers from the secondary, earlier sequence.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil numbers positioned in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . There are two earlier foliation systems running through parts of the volume. The first uses uncircled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages, and the top-left corner of verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. pages. This foliation system numbers pages if they have content on them, which is the case for all rectos and some versos. This foliation system appears intermittently through most of the volume. The other foliation system uses circled blue pencil numbers in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages, and appears from folios 5 to 42. Numerous printed materials contained in the volume have their own internal pagination systems. The following foliation irregularities occur: 1a, 34a, 51B, 219B, 250B.
- Written in
- English, French and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [239v] (486/540), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/611, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023826002.0x000057> [accessed 16 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/611
- Title
- 'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1ar:1av, 2r:5v, 16r:22v, 24r:34v, 34ar:34av, 35r:42v, 44r:49v, 51r:51v, 51br:51bv, 52r:54v, 56r:63v, 66r:67v, 72r:112r, 113r:134v, 136r:168v, 170r:182v, 184r:204r, 205v:213v, 215v, 219br:219bv, 222r:225v, 227r:236v, 238r:250v, 250br:250bv, 251r:261v, 262v:264v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence