File 3047/1909 'Railways: Asiatic Turkey; railway construction in Asia Minor' [‎141r] (286/368)

[This Document is the Property of His
Majesty's Government.]
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
[October 4.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 6 .
[36606]
No. 1.
(No. 783.)
Sir,
Sir G. Lowther to Sir Edward Grey.—{Received October 4.)
Therapia, September 25, 1909.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 743 of the 14th instant, concerning the conj
cession for railways in Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. , which has been applied for by Mr. Glasgow, I have the
honour to transmit to you herewith a translation of the Decree of the Senate, which
regulates the action of the Ministry of Public Works in granting such a concession, and
which appeared at last in the “ Official Gazette ” of the 14th instant. You will perceive
that after confirming the rejection of the Bill by which it was proposed to grant the
concession out and out to Mr. Glasgow, it proceeds to recapitulate the main lines of the
contract, and then authorises the executive to negotiate with whatever company might
offer the best terms, the grant of a concession on those lines.
Extract from “ Takvim-i-vekai ” of the 1st (14^) September, 1909.
Decree of the Senate concerning Railway Construction in Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. .
THE following is a copy of the Decree drawn up by the Senate in accordance
with a discussion which took place in the Chamber of Deputies, and, on a request for
its being put into execution, sanctioned by Imperial Irade, concerning a concession for
the construction and working of railways in certain places in Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. without
guarantees from present and fixed revenue, but on condition of profiting by the
discovered and undiscovered mines.
There has been transmitted to the Bill Committee of the Chamber of Deputies a
Bill consisting of a single article, drawn up by the Ministry of Public Works and
studied and modified by the Council of Ministers, containing a request for permission
to conclude a contract with Dr. Bruce Glasgow, who is applying, in the name of an
American company, for a concession for the construction and working of railways in
certain places in Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. without guarantees from present and fixed revenues, but on
condition of profiting by the discovered and undiscovered mines. The Bill sent by the
Government is for permission to conclude a contract with a certain person indicated.
Now, as it is possible that other competitors may be found for the building of these
railways on the same conditions as those set forth in the said Bill, or on still more
favourable terms, and as applications of this nature have already been made to the
Chamber of Deputies, the said Committee approved, and that Committee’s detailed
examination was accepted by the general assembly of the Chamber of Deputies, that
instead of the aforesaid Bill permission should be given to the executive to conclude a
contract with the company offering the terms which are best and most favourable to
the interests of the country for a concession to build and work lines (1) fiom 8ivas,
passing Kharput, Ergheni, Diarbekir, and Bitlis, and the northern or southern shore
of Lake Van ; (2) starting from a point to be fixed on the Van-Sivas-Diarbekir line
and running ’to Yumurtalik via the Jihan Valley ; (3) starting from a point on the
Diarbekir-Van line and stretching to Mosul, Kerkuk, and Suleimanieh, on the following
terms:—
1. No guarantee shall be given by the Ottoman Government for assuring the
capital or the interest for either the building or the working of the lines, but in return
a 99 years’ concession shall be given for the mines, now being worked in the name
of the Government, or which shall be discovered by the company, in the land within
a distance of 20 kilom. on both sides of the line to be constructed.
I have, &c.
GERARD LOWTHER.
Inclosure in No. 1.
[2460 d —G]