'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III' [‎172r] (344/549)

<9
be reccnncitsred i-.t once » Lie an' bile above prospects sufficient/.,'"
indicate that Baghdad must necessarily become chief railway
oent - ^ in this pe rt of Asia. Upon it the me.in Persian railway
system should he based. It is fortunate that line thence to
Teheran via Kermanshah has proved so much less difficult than
was feared. As to the various proposals for Persian railway
to northwards of Kermanshah line it is manifest that the rich
Caspian litoral must ever remain chiefly tributary to Russia.
Both British and Mesopotamian interests would suffer from the
building of a rwilv/ay between that litoral and the- Persian
Plateau. Exports from Plateau would then be also attracted to
Russia and imports would be food stuffs from litoral and oil
and goods from Russia, All these commodities can and should from
our standpoint be moved from and be provided to plateau via
Kermanshah. I recommend abandoning the idea of railway or even
reconneitering from Ramadan via Kasvin to Enzeli both for these
r asms and to far less extent because reconnaissances indicate
descent from Plateau to Menjil to be most difficult stretch on whole
distance from Baghdad to Caspian. For immediate transport a good
metal cart road exists ever that length already. Similarly I
promoted
deprecate any British/Railway from Plateau to Tabriz via either
Zin.jan or unexplored Kizil Uzun country. On the other hand
although Azerbaijan still remains mere populous and productive
than rest of Persia although it has been devastated and
depopulated by both Russian and Turkish armies. Benefit would
be derived from placing it in position to become tributary to Baghdad
To effect that metre gauge might be laid down to Tabriz (?) through
zrbaiian from Junction with proposed (?) Baghdad Altun Keupri
line. Incidentally relations between Trans-Caucasian and
Trans-Caspian races and Mesopotamia certainly to its advantage
v-onld be fostered by this line to Tabriz, It should be surveyed
therefore (?) up over Aasna Pass. Further if order to direct
currents of traffic rather towards Baghdad than towards other
spehercs northwestwards it io well worth studying whether
Sulcimcniyeh branch could not be taken down rougher country