"الملف 73/7 I (D 19) وضع الكويت، سكة حديد بغداد، والمفاوضات الأنجلو تركية في ١٩١١" [و‎‎١‎٤‎٠] (٦٣١/٢٩٣)

This Doc anient is the Property of His Britannic Majesty 's Government.]
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA. [February 23.]
CONFIDENTIAL. S ection 1.
[6792] no. 1.
Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company to Foreign Office.—{Received
February 23.)
3, Salter's Hall Court, Cannon Street, London,
February 22, 1911.
AS it would seem that the question of the Bagdad Railway is again becoming
prominent, and that in any conversations which may take place between His Majesty s
Government and the Porte upon this subject the question of the development of the
river communications must also come under discussion, my Board feel^ it their dut\ to
submit to you the following considerations, which, seem to them to be inseparable tiom
the question of the railway ;—
It seems evident that the railway cannot be built withou t either (1) a kilometnc
guarantee by the Turkish Government, raised by means o£ increased customs duties,
whether or not they be specifically allocated to the railway or (2) a guarantee by His
Maiesty's Government or other foreign Government controlling the line or any given
section of the Hue. In either case, the river steamers serving the same regions would
be most unfairly handicapped by competition with a subsidised railway line. It the
State guarantee for the railway be found through increased customs du t>^ we Uust
that His Maiestv's Government realise the extent of the increased burden which would
thus be placed upon British trade. The duties would add to the cost of the staple
article of export from Great Britain, namely, piece goods, a sum many times greatei
■■ • W iw.v. TmVht he effected by possible reductions m the cost of carnage.
• ""f "■*" d 4 ■" tjtz
i whiph nrp levied ad valorem, would mean an mciease m
m the c « st . 0 J s , dl g O0d3 of 80s The present cost of conveying this ton of
selling pi ice of th s . g , ^ ig onlv 25,9. If, therefore, the railway were to
carry them for nothing, ^they would still be penalised, through the increased duty, to
^ Tsristider that any railway ^
expense of an increase in the custom . countrv. The bulk of the Indian
advantage to British and ^ .® j of va l u able goods such as textiles, indigo,
trade consists, like that from ® r , D 1de of Mesopotamia, whether with India or
coffee, tea and spices. As for tne ex P° rt 0 ; f n hides an d wool, which are
We would not wish to be co f °f s XdLd railway, and should only be
Bussorah. But such a railway sho ,^ d ^ ntr Requires it. We may point out that for
built when the development o . aI1( j gtores could always be conveyed cheaper
strategical purposes Governme ' 1 ^ , ealls of steamers, as at present,
and more safely between Bagdad and tUe Unix y
than by a railway. . , . TTjg Maiesty's Government would be well
Under these circumstances feel ^ development by British capital of
advised in making strong ^ ^f^av question provides a favourable opportunity
the river navigation, and that the railway que f
for reopening that of the na^ga pointed out that we had spent a sum of
In our letter of the 13th O c ^er last we pomt GOTernment for a ^o^ 0 f the
over 3,6001. in negotiations wl ™ ^ ^ am;a . These negotiations had progressed
on the rivers ot Mesopoia T^rVish Chamber passed a
over 3,6001. m negotiations vvlt " ^ tam i a . These negotiations nacl progress^
navigation interests on the rivers of M e8 opot the chamber p a SS ed
steadily until the middle of ^Xids .ng the Cabinet to conciude the matter, subje
resolution by a large majority, amaon.. . h budget. The proposals from us at
to its imposing no fresh burdens upon adilv bear this construction; but as
that time before the Turkish Cabinet f.^uld we altered our proposals in such a
the Cabinet took exception to th «m on U . « y Mr . Hamilton, K.C., to whom we
wa y that, in the opinion of a high legal am
»[1894 z—I]