Skip to item: of 631
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [‎275r] (583/631)

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.

Apply page layout

i L ocment is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's GovemiL „.l
EASTERN DEPARTMENT. [July 2 gj
SECRET SERIES. Section l
[28300] No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to the Tu 29, 1911.
(Confidential.)
HTS Majesty's Government have not failed to give their careful attentipn to the
important proposals contained in the memorandum of the 1st March last from the
01 torn an Go v eminent.
These proposals, though they affect interests so closely interwoven that they
cannot ^ be settled independently the one of the other, have, for the purpose of
convenience, been set forth under three distinct headings :—
(i.) The Bagdad Railway question.
(ii. ) The respective interests of Great Britain and Turkey in the region of the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
(iii.) An increase from 11 per cent, to 15 per cent, ad valorem in the Turkish
customs duties.
(i.) The Bagdad Railway Question.
On various occasions His Majesty's Government have indicated the conditions
under which they would favour the participation of British capital in this enterprise ;
and, while it is not now proposed to recapitulate the earlier stages of this question,
it may be recalled that in July 1910, as a result of prolonged discussions with the
Ottoman Minister of Finance who was then in London, it was intimated that an
arrangement securing to British interests a representation of 55 per cent, of the
whole in regard to the Gulf sections of the line might be regarded as a satisfactory
solution,—and, having regard to the great preponderance of certain interests in other
sections of the line, such a proportion cannot well be looked upon as excessive,
especially if the great extent of British trade in those regions and the vast tonnage
of British shipping are borne in mind.
Since the arrangement laid before Djavid Bey represented a large measure
of concession on the part of His Majesty's Government, they jiaye received the
suggestions now made by the Ottoman (rovernmeut with some surprise.
^ The Turkish proposals for the final portions of the railway are that a new
company should be formed, and that the capital should be divided between the
Ottoman Government, who would receive 40 per cent, of the whole, and British,
French, and German groups, who would each receive 20 per cent. 1 he details _ot
the financial arrangements are left for subsequent settlement between the parties
j i i tue|ted. est^s Governme]it regret tliat t i iey are unable to accept these proposals.
If a new company is formed for the construction and working of the railway south
of Bagdad, and if it is to be constituted upon an interaatioiial
Government can only accede to such an arrangement provided that British interest
are represented in a degree at least equal to that of any other lower including
Turkey and in order to effect this and with a view to emphasising the mternationa
and commercial character of the undertaking, they would suggest that shou t
be admitted to participation and that the percentage allotted to each countij suou
1,6 " Assuming that this distribution is adopted, His Majesty's Government consider
that ^Convention should be concluded by the ^
exclusion of differential rates on any railways m Asiatic lurkcy, a
of treatment in regard to transport facilities and cognate niatteis , ^ te( j.
STlSI duraliou arf mt » m**t» - «•
expiry of the Bagdad Railway concession.
' [2123 /f—1]

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
Cite this item in your research

'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [‎275r] (583/631), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/610, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023839676.0x0000a6> [accessed 13 January 2025]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100023839676.0x0000a6">'File 73/7 I (D 19) Status of Kuwait & Baghdad Railway, and Anglo-Turkish negotiations 1911' [&lrm;275r] (583/631)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023839676.0x0000a6">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000247/IOR_R_15_1_610_0576.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

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

Use and reuse
Download this image