ملف 1552/1904 الجزء ١ "المحمّرة: مشروع كارون للري [و‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (٨٣٩/٢٤٩)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
PERSIA.
[May 13.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 22.
[15434]
No. 1.
Sir C. Spring-Rice to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received May 13.)
(No. 74,)
gir, Tehran, April 21, 1907.
WITH reference to my telegram No. 76 of the 4th instant, I have the honour
to transmit herewith copy of a despatch which I have received from His Majesty’s
Consul-General at Bushire, on the subject of the Karun irrigation scheme.
As I informed you in my telegram above referred to, I have adopted a neutral
attitude towards the Hutch project, and the determined opposition of the Sheikh of
Mohammerah towards it, and his wish to combine with us to carry out the scheme,
somewhat complicate matters.
In view of the attitude of the National Assembly towards all foreign enterprises
in Persia, any early development of the Hutch international scheme seems highly
improbable. I have explained to the Netherlands Minister that the scheme cannot
hope to succeed without the active assistance of the Sheikh, on whom the promoters
would have to depend for labour and protection. The Sheikh will probably be in a
position to dictate his own terms, unless he is interfered with from Tehran, and in
that case I presume that I shall he authorized to intercede on his behalf.
Meanwhile it seems likely that the Sheikh’s expressed wish, that conditions in
his territory should remain as they were, will not be thwarted in the near future. I
shall continue to keep Bushire informed of any developments here.
I should he grateful to be informed whether Messrs. Lynch or any other British
capitalist are in treaty with the promoters of the Netherlands scheme. I presume
that they will not put their money into it until they have received some sort of
guarantee that the scheme is likely to be a paying one. The balance of evidence is
not at present in its favour.
I venture to add that the Nizam-es-Sultaneh, who is a large proprietor in the
neighbourhood of Ahwaz, is of the opinion that the population is not at present
sufficiently large to cultivate the existing area of arable land, and that a large
irrigation scheme could not pay, as sufficient hands were not to be found to cultivate
the new land reclaimed.
I have, &c.
(Signed) CECIL SPBING-BICE.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Major Cox to Sir C. Spring-Rice.
(Confidential.)
gj rj Bushire, March 17, 1907.
’ I HAVE the honour to forward, for your Excellency’s information, a copy of a
letter which I have addressed to the Government of India, on the subject of the
Karun irrigation scheme.
I have, &c.
(Signed) P. Z. COX..
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Major Cox to Government of India.
(Confidential.) March 17> 1907.
’ WITH reference to the despatch on the subject of the Karun irrigation question,
I have the honour to report that during a conversation I recently had witn tne
Sheikh of Mohammerah the latter referred anxiously to this topic.
[2474 a—22]