File 2764/1904 Pt 4 'Baghdad Railway: Anglo-Turkish negotiations; proposals of Turkish Govt; status of Kowait' [‎239r] (482/674)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s GovemmenU
EASTERN DEPARTMENT.
SECRET SERIES.
fAPRtgjj
■•-V/
[April 10.]
Section 3.
[13381]
No. 1.
(No 123 ) ^ ( ^ war( ^ (* re y to Sir F. Bertie.
Sir, ' _ .
ti ot the desire ol Russia to participate in the railway from Bagdad to the Cnlf h,
^Ve°n tslfbv ^ England,
1X3VmV 1 ' 8ir Art J hur Nicol -‘ being^also present!^
Russian Gowrnmpnt^ !? A 0n t , hat ] a PP rei ;‘ ated the good political intentions of the
hand tho i-> • and the value of what they wished to demonstrate. On the other
that ’T7 h f n su gg es tion would complicate the negotiations exceedingly. Supposing-
20 per “ 6 anTEn.la^d^n 2 ° sh p are “ lhe Bagdad-Gulf Action, TuS
she desired with ,-e^ d t th P « r ’ -i^ that ’ “ addi tiou. France was to have what
she desired with regard to the Syrian railways, part of the Hediaz Railway, railways in
t h A ' ' 'A A S ‘ a Mlnor ’ and the Danube-Adriatic Railway, while Riwsia had 7 the
Britfh mihli . ™™ an P Td CtS "lA' 16 R " ssian 8phere “ Persia ’ in such eifeumstances
to a share b n X Ra TdT^ and Russia had th ese things in addition
TV/r -u section equal to ours, we should also get something in
addrtion. My idea was, therefore, that we should not participate i/the advantages
ihp Pi R ^ Sia 7 ere £ et elsewhere, and that they should not participate m
the Bagdad-Gulf section, but allow us to make the best bargain we could^with regard
^ f 118 ? ^ 6 h ?* Ve hltherto T asked a shar e of at least 50 per cent., and if we got thhfthe
with Turkey 860 * 1011 m^lSt, 1 SUpP ° Sed ’ t0 Germa ny under the German arrangement
M. Gambon said he entirely understood our difficulty. He had told Count
Benckendorfl that the question _ as to whether France should participate in the
Bagdad Gulf section was one which concerned us alone. She would participate if we
wished her to do so, but she did not regard it as her affair. He was impressed by the
desire of the Russian Government to retrieve the blunder which they had made at
Fotsdam, and he took the same view as I did of their political intentions in the matter
but it was very difficult for them to undo what they had done at Potsdam. He had
also pointed out to Count Benckendorff that the consent of Turkey was necessary to
Russian participation. J
I observed that I had warned Count Beckendorff from the beginning that, while
M. Sazonow should reduce as much as possible the difficulties in which he had become
entangled at Potsdam, he should not break off' the agreement made there with Germany
because the Khanikin—Tehran branch and the other inconveniences in the arrangement
were not serious enough to justify a political quarrel between Russia and Germany
which would suit neither Russia nor England, and which I assumed would not suit
France either.
M. Gambon asked whether he might tell Count Benckendorff, who was not
instructed to make any proposal formally, that I would talk over the matter with him.
I replied that I would do so next week; but I hoped that M. Gambon would
explain the difficulties to him, as I should have to point them out to him when
he came.
I am, &c.
E. GREY.