Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎157v] (314/442)

1989
1990
Supply (Committee). HOUSE OF
[Colonel Yate.]
on our hands the Indian telegraphs, on
which so much of the communication be
tween London and India depends. The
main Indo-European Telegraph line—one
of the main lines of communication be
tween England and the East—runs through
Persia, and the information received a
month or so ago indicated that the line
between Bushire and Shiraz was being
constantly cut. I think, therefore, if we
are to take up the duty of protecting these
routes, it is all the more necessary for us
to follow the Russian plan of having Per
sians enlisted under British officers to
maintain order in the South, just as the
Russians are doing with the Persian Cos
sacks under Russian officers in the North.
I trust that the right hon. Gentleman
will take this question into consideration,
because he has told us that he is not going
1 to send troops into Persia. I do not think
any one of us desires that he should send
a large body of troops into Persia, but I
hold that to maintain Cavalry in Persia
who are not able to go out in the country
is to expose our weakness. I would sug
gest that instead of these Cavalry being
used, as they now are in Persia, the Per
sian Government should enable us in the
South, just as Russia has been enabled in
the North, to take measures for the raising
of levies. That is the only alternative I
can see. I do think we can do a great
deal to protect our interests there if we
come to an arrangement with the Persian
Government whereby we shall be enabled
to enlist Persians under British officers to
maintain order on routes which are of so
much importance to us. The Persian Gov
ernment is powerless to give any repara
tion in respect of our losses. The tribal
chiefs will never surrender, and the Indian
Cavalry are not strong enough to exact
reparation from them. I think the keep
ing of those troops there is useless and a
waste of material. We are neither helping
the Persian Government nor ourselves. I
trust this matter will be carefully con
sidered by the right hon. Gentleman with
the view of seeing whether anything can
be done by Persian levies to reduce Persia
to a better state than it is in at present.
I will now say one or two words on the
subject of the Trans-Persian Railway
which has been already referred to.
The hon. Member for Stirling when he first
spoke said that this railway should not be
constructed without the consent of Persia,
but I must s'ay I think that there is nothing
which will benefit Persia so much as the
COMMONS Foreign Office.
construction of the line. The construc
tion of some line of railway is the only
chance that I can see of Persia being able
to retain her hold on her own people. I
would like to ask the right hon. Gentle
man whether his attention has been drawn
to the representations made through the
Government of India by the Karachi
Chamber of Commerce that the break of
gauge between the Russian and India rail
way should not be allowed to occur at any
point south of the Russian sphere of in
fluence. They have also asked that their
lines should be constructed in the straight-
est possible manner from Pasni to
Teheran, through Kejs to Bam pur and Kir-
man, Yezd and Ispahan. I have spoken
to many Russian friends, and they have
always tried to impress on me that they
should have the construction of the rail
way right rown to the port of Charbar,
which they have set their heart upon, on
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . We all acknowledge
that to bring the Russian line right down
to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. would cut all British
commerce out of Southern Persia alto
gether. The break of gauge would occur,
and there would be transhipment of goods,
which means much delay.
British goods must have a clear run up
to the commercial centres and Persia if
they are to stand an equal chance with
Russia. The great point with Russia is to
have a port on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Russia
has her terminus at the northern end, at
Batoum, and Russia will not allow any
other terminus in the north except her
own. Proposals have been made to have
a terminus of this railway at Trebizond,
in Turkey, and they have absolutely ob
jected. We, on our side, equally object
to having the southern terminus in any
other territory but our own. For that
reason we have a right to claim that Pasni,
in our territory, would be a very good ter
minus, and that the English would have
the making of the railway from Teheran
to Pasni to the point of junction with the
other side. If the Russians were allowed
to bring this railway south, it would mean
that in all Southern Persia south of the
Russian zone no English could have any
contract for anything required by the line,
and England would be cut out entirely.
Looking to the interest of our own traders
and manufacturers, we should make a great
stand on this point, and have it plainly
understood that we shall not be prepared
to enter upon the construction of this line
unless it is acknowledged that we have the
right to construct our own railway from
the South up to the beginning of the