"الملف 73/7 II (D 22) وضع الكويت - سكة حديد بغداد، والمفاوضات الأنجلو تركية" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٢] (٥٤٠/٣٢٩)

0
iThis Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Go»
[« /^'
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[July 18.]
S ection 1.
l28322T No -
Sir Edward Grey to Tewfik Pasha.
(Confidential.)
Your Highness, Foreign Office, July 18, 1012.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Highness herewith a meraorandum
embodying the reply of His Majesty's Government to the memorandum communicated
. by the Imperial Ottoman Government on the l_5th April last, relating to questioned 1 ,
connected with the Bagdad Hail way and the Persian Gulf.
In communicating this document to your Highness I desire to call your attention to
two additional points which are not dealt with in the memorandum or its annexes.
In the first place His Majesty's Government consider it highly desirable, in order to
secure the smooth working of the arrangements proposed m regard r,o the Bagdad
Railway, that at least one British director, approved by His Majesty's Government,
should be admitted to the board of the Bagdad Railway Company. Such an arrangement
would of course require the consent of the German Government. i
Secondly, as the Turkish Government are aware, certain rights are secured to Persia
under the Treaty of Erzeroum (1847), and the geographical position of Mohammerah
is such that the sheikh cannot fail to be brought into contact with the Riverain
Commission; and unless provision is made for these facts there is a risk of the friction
arising wMch it is the object of the two Governments to avoid. There would have been
much to be said for an International Riverain Commission on which Persia, equally with
Great Britain and Turkey, should be represented. But as His Majesty's Government,
appreciating the objections entertained by the Porte, have not pressed tor this, it
is necessary to provide in some other way for the representation of Persia m such
matters as may touch her rights whether under the Treaty of Erzeroum or under this new
agreement. His Majesty's Government therefore propose that the commissioner who is
a British subject should be charged with the duty of making to the comimssion such
representations as may at any time be necessary upon any question atiectmg those
rights, and they will be willing to use their good offices with the Persian Government
*and the Sheikh of Mohammerah to induce them to agree to this arrangement.
These two points come, perhaps, outside the scope of the matters dealt with m the
memorandum which are confined to subjects of negotiation between Great Britain and
Turkey alone, but His Majesty's Government attach great importance to them and
trust that they will receive the favourable consideration of the Imperial Ottoman
Government. j havei &c .
E. GREY.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Draft of Memorandum to he communicated to Turkish Ambassador.
1 HIS Majesty's Government have not failed to examine with much care and
attention the important proposals which are embodied in the memorandum communicated .
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atbtMiblUli uiit, wi A •11 J
bv the Imperial Ottoman Government on the 15th April last. . . , ,
2 Throughout their deliberations, His Majesty's Government have been animated by
the conviction that a complete agreement on outstanding questions is eminently to be
desired in the larger interests of both countries. They are persuaded that such an
agreement, to be justly appreciated, should be viewed not only in the measure of
sacrifice or advantage which each individual clause may imply, hut also in its cumulative
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