'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [227r] (487/631)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
ter
m ' 1 ! ' Grey i made acquainted as soon as possible with the views of Viscount
V. 7 ; 0 . the Government of India, on the subject in order that he may be
enabled to reply to Mr. Jacksou without undue delay,
tr.v H am M 0 • ad f f n ® x P resslo n of Sir E. Grey's hope that it may be found possible
lor His Majesty s Government to express themselves as favourably towards the
scheme as the Russian Government have done,
I am, &c.
LOUIS MALLET.
(Copy sent informally to the Army Department for transmission to the Divi
sion of the Chief of the Stafi.)
{Received on 26th April 1911, with Political Secretary's letter No 14 dated
the 7th April 191L)
I ndia O ffice,
I
29th March 1911,
slk,
I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of the 16th instant on the subject of the Baghdad Railway and
♦ To Governor-General, dated 18th March C0l mected questions, and in reply to enclose
1911. copy of telegrams* exchanged with the
From ditto, dated 23rd March 1911. Government of India.
2. Since your letter was written a Convention has been signed between the
Ottoman Government and the Anatolian Railway Company whereby the latter
relinquishes its concession for the section between Bagdad and the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
on the understanding that it receives in a new company to be formed a share not
less than that of any other non-Turkish Power, and subject to a claim to be
indemnified for loss arising out of construction expenses guaranteed on that section.
The conclusion of this Convention no doubt facilitates the opening of negotiations
between this country and Turkey. It also, in Viscount Morley's opinion,
removes all inducements to open them.
3. When the written proposals of the Turkish Government were received it
was understood that they were not final, but were of a tentative nature, and did
not exclude the hope that more favourable terms might be obtained for this
country. To any such hope the door is apparently closed by the new conven
tion. It is not probable that in an international company to be formed for promo
ting a railway on Turkish soil, Turkey will consent to reduce her share below the
40 per cent, proposed, and if that is so, unless France is to be practically excluded,
it is arithmetically impossible for Great Britain to obtain more than 25 per cent.
In 1909 the total trade of Baghdad was 2,918,120/, of which 1 ,954,000/ belonged
to Great Britain and India, or about 67 per cent.; 237,379/ to France, or about
8 per cent; and 65,349/' to Germany, or less than 2j per cent. Comment on these
figures is unnecessary, and Lord Morley believes that no Government that consent
ed to permit the increased Customs duties in return for participation upon these
terms, or upon any terms at all resembling them, could stand before the criticism
that would be invoked.
4. This view,—in which there is, no doubt, an element of sentiment—is con
firmed by an examination of the question on its merits as a matter of business.
From this point of view I am to observe that, apart from providing profitable
scope for British capital (which is not withouu scope elsewhere and is not likely
to be attracted to an enterprise in which it will have to begin by paying an mdem-
nitv to the original concessionnaires), the sole measure of the advantage of parti
cipation is the control that it affords ; and the degree of control afforded by a
20 per cent, or even 25 per cent, share is illusory. Nor, on the other hand, does it
appear that we stand to lose commercially by non-participation, since, if it is
i
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 View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [227r] (487/631), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/610, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023839676.0x000051> [accessed 5 February 2025]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023839676.0x000051
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023839676.0x000051">'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [‎227r] (487/631)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023839676.0x000051"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000247/IOR_R_15_1_610_0487.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000247/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/610
- Title
- 'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:iii-v, 1r:6v, 7ar:7av, 7r:12v, 13av, 14v, 15v, 17av, 17r, 19r:19v, 22r:37r, 38r:46v, 48r:50v, 58r:74v, 75v:84v, 87v:93v, 94v:96r, 97r:147v, iv-r:vi-v, back-i, front-a, back-a, spine-a, edge-a, head-a, tail-a, front-a-i, vii-r:ix-v, 148r:229v, 231r:289v, 291v:294v, x-r:xiii-v, back-a-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence