ملف رقم ٩٣٠ لسنة ١٩١٢ "سكة حديد المحمرة - خرم آباد؛ [و‎‎١‎٥‎١] (٣٩٦/٣٠٨)

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He considered that a minimum guarantee of
4 per cent, might be provided by (1) the increase
of the Customs consequent on the new traffic, ( 2 ) a
low transit due to be raised per ton on all goods
going through the country by the line, and his
despatch concluded with the following words :—
^ ^ ( 1 cannot help thinking that the formation of
“ ^e Committee in Russia is a proof of the desire
“ of the commercial classes in that country to avail
themselves of trade routes which cannot be
overlooked.
“ The Government of Russia might perhaps be
persuaded to see the advantages to be derived
from this line of railway, which would be very
“ great on her side, and the course to be taken
“ would be such as to preclude the idea of stra
tegical rather than trade purposes.”
Sir H. D. Wolff’s Despatch No. 261, In a subsequent despatch Sir H D Wolff
8th August 1890. forwarded a report by Mr. Macqueen, Civil
Engineer, on the suggested railway between
Enzeli and Mohammerah.
Views of Her Majesty’s Government
as to Russian Railways in Persia.
Sir H. D. Wolff’s Despatch No. 137,
21st April 1890.
(P. 45.)
Lord Salisbury’s Telegram, 19th May
1890.
(P. 51.)
8 . In April of the same year a report was made
by Sir 14. D. Wolff to the effect that the Abaza
Committee were said to have in contemplation a
line from Tiflis to Tabriz, Tehran, and Bunder
Abbas. On the 19th May the views of Her
Majesty’s Government were explained to him in a
comprehensive telegram of which the following is a
paraphrase:—
“ With reference to your despatches and other
“ correspondence on the subject of railway con-
“ cessions in Persia, there are three possible
“ contingencies to be considered : —
“ In the first place, it is by no means improbable
“ that the Russians will attempt to construct a line
“ passing through Khorasan in the direction of
“ Herat. They may employ Government funds
“ upon such an enterprise. In this case 1 can only
“ instruct you to offer the most strenous resistance,
“ although I feel some doubt as to whether you will
“ succeed.
“ Another line which the Russians may wish to
“ make is that from their own frontier to the
Persian capital. It is not necessary that you
“ should oppose it, but merely insist that a similar
“ concession should be granted to us in the south,
“ which should correspond in value and importance
“ with the Russian line, and should be decided on
“ in consultation with Her Majesty’s Legation.
“ The Russian Government would hardly be willing
“ to defray the expense of construction in this
“ instance, and it is very doubtful whether the
“ money could be raised in other quarters.
“ There remains, as the third contingency, the
“ line which you have mentioned, running across
“ Persia from the Caspian to Bunder Abbas on the
“ Persian Gulf. 1 feel certain that the Russian
“ Government would not devote public funds to
“ the construction of such a line; it would be
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