'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎95v] (195/386)

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principle Lord Curzon suggested that the Persian Transport Company might oa
urged to claim a similar privilege on the Tehran-Ispahan road under the r con-
cession But this was not all that was necessary Information had been
received that the Russians were already promising the Sani-ed-Dowleh a loan.
The object seemed to be to try and utilise the Sam-ed-Bowleh s proposed service
on the Tehran.Ispahan road on which the Russians could not apparently run
their own cars and so to invade the Central Persian markets Lord Curzon was
of opinion that this move should be frustrated and, it being clear that the Persian
Transport Company was not in a position to oppose competition, was w illing o
contribute a moiety from Indian revenues towards buying the Sam-ed-Dowleh
and so ^stamng thc Russians. It could then be decided at leisure whe her
it would he preferable (a) to close the road to Persian motor cais until by
means of improved communication with the coast British could compete with
Russian goods in the markets of the interior, ( 6 ) o subsidise the service by
the Persian Transport Company or (o) to develope the Persian service. J s o
how far the Persian Government were responsible for the concession to the
Russians and whether in the circumstances ^ a claim for compensation had
arisen were doubtful but such a claim may be justified m view ot the prospec
tive iniury to British commercial interests. In such a case Lord Cuizon u s
opinion that the concession for a road from Bunder Abbas to Bam carrying
with it the right to use motor cars on it and to make extensions towards beistan
and Ispahan if necessary should be pressed These proposals which were sup
ported 1 by Mr. Newcomen and Major Sykes appeared to Lord Curzon of first
importance politically and commercially.
20 Simultaneously with the proposed demand for a concession from the
Persian Government an officer was deputed to examine and report upon the
line of the suggested road.
21. Meanwhile in August 1905 the Sani ed-Dowleh informed Sir Arthur
Hardinthat he had already purchase ! six motors and that he intended to com
mence by running them from Tehran to Kazvin and Tehran to Kum, his idea
jjei n o> later to inaugurate a service on the roads to Kermanshah and Meshed.
He vvas at that time trying to raise money from either the English or Russian
Bank, and failing to come to terms with the former, it seems probable that some
arrangement was made with M. Grnbe, as on November 18th, Mr. Grant Duff
vvas informed by the Mushir-ed-Dowleh that a company consisting of nine
Persians and one foreigner with a capital of about £45 ,OjO was to he
formed to run Renard motor trains on the Tehran-Meshed and Tehran-Kum-
Kermanshah roads. When asked who the foreigner was, the Minister lor
Foreign Affairs replied that he had not yet been nominated, but it was suspected
that he was the Russian Financial Agent.
22. No reply had been received by the Government of India to their tele
gram of Augmt 1905 when Lord Curzon left India but from papers informally
received it °appears that the Board of Trade had been consulted but doubled
much practical advantage accruing to Russian Commerce by the newly estab
lished motor service owing to the poor condition of the Russian roads generally.
They considered that if any countermove was considered advisable the best
one would be the improvement of the roads in Southern Persia leading from
the Gulf Ports into the interior. Meanwhile, however, two heavy motor lorries
appeared to have been imported and these were in use on the section of the road
between Kazvin and Tehran during the latter part of 1905. The weight carried
was said to be about 4 tons of goods, in addition to 12 passengers on the top of
the load ; they did not travel at night and took something over 24 hours to cover
the 90 miles of road. It was reported that other cars which had been ordered
were expected to arrive in Persia in time to inaugurate a regular service along
the whole line from Resht to Tehran on the 1st January 1908 .
23. Tlie idea of obtaining British control over the routes northwards from
Bunder Abbas to Bam and Seistan vvas no new one. It was considered by Lord
Curzon and the Military authorities in April 1904 as a consequence of a
Russian scheme fora railway cutting across Peisia diagonally from north-west
to south-east starting from the Russian frontier and proceeding to Kerman
along the Central Persian plateau. The question was then one of railway