ملف ٥٦٤٦\١٩١٨ "بلاد فارس وبلاد الرافدين: ترتيبات التلغراف المستقبلية" [ظ‎‎٢‎٤] (٣٠٣/٥٨)

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directors liave every hope that the assistance of the Jjiitish Go\ eminent may be
accorded to them in the negotiations to be undeitaken for this purpose.
The directors have to take into account the amortisation of a large sum to be
expended within the period of the concession with a not inadequate rate of dividend
thereon, and they therefore suggest that a term of 2d years should be the minimum
period for the concessions, with provisions that tne Postmaster-Genelal should at
intervals of live years have an opportunity to raise any question of tariffs, and that m
the event of His Majesty’s Government deciding to take over the Company’s lines at
anv of the periods above referred to, that is to say, at the end of 5, 10, 15, or
20 years, the Government should pay to the Company a sum of money equal to
four-fifths, three-fifths, two-fifths and one-fifth respectively of the capital expenditure
incurred by the Company in re-estabiishing the route. This would include the cost
of cables and aerial lines built by the Company, as well as new apparatus, &c.
If His Majesty’s Government is able to give the Company an assurance that these
main points are agreed, we should take steps with a view to order the cables and
proceed with any constructional work that may be necessary, and the directors have
every hope that the Company’s new route would be opened for traffic in the autumn
of next year.
I am, &c.,
J. If. Tritton,
Chairman of the Directors.
Memorandum by Director-in-Chief, Indo-European Telegraph Department,
dated 31st December 1919.
In continuation of my note of the 1st December (P. 7462/19), I attach hereto a
copy of I.C.C. Paper No. 182, for information. This paper w r as considered by the
Committee at their 12th meeting on the 10th December 1919, and the following
decision was arrived at : —
[a) That the Indo-European Telegraph Company should be informed that His
Majesty’s Government have no objection to their carrying out their
scheme for restoring their route to India via Germany.
(b) That the Company should be given a general assurance to the effect that His
Majesty’s Government .will support them in their negotiations with foreign
Powers.
I have asked the Post Office representative on the Committee, whose duty it will
be to communicate this resolution to the Company", to make it clear to them that the
use of Government wires in Mesopotamia is dependent on the approval of the
Secretary of State to such a course.
The proposed change in the scheme does not affect the argument contained in mv
note of the 1st December last.
Annexure : General Post Office to Indo-hnropean Telegraph Oornpanu, dated ISth
November 1919.
I.C.C. No. 182.
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 6th instant, I am directed by the
1 ostmastei-Geneial to say that the question of your Company’s new route to India
has been further considered by the Imperial Communications Committee, and that
the Committee have recommended that the Government should give their support to
XllC SCil01T10.
Ihe principal difficulty at the moment appeared to the Committee to be that the
status ot the region between the Mediterranean and the borders of Mesopotamia lias
not yet been determined. Assuming that a route through territory- under British
control should be possible, the Committee prefer that that route should he followed,
EifumCTT , th t G ° Vel 'T ent sho,,ld in that case give facilities to the
Company either to provide their own line or to lease wires from the Government If
nlnd t m° nfl ffi er Brltlsh contro1 should not be possible, they recom-
securinr f ro!te P .r Slbl t d t , , plomatlc 1 yPP°rt should be given to the Company in
seem mg a route through other suitable territory.
The Committee further recommend that'the Government should grant a con
cession for 2o years subject to right of pre-emption on the part of the Gofernmen
on two years notice, at the end of 1924 or ally time thereafter, on pCrnTnCoT the