ملف رقم ٩٣٠ لسنة ١٩١٢ "سكة حديد المحمرة - خرم آباد؛ [ظ‎‎١‎٧‎٠] (٣٩٦/٣٤٧)

46
was observed that it would strongly compete with
a Khanikin-Tehran railway.
50. On the 10th May 1911, the Foreign Office
addressed a despatch to Sir 0 . Fuchanan, instructing
him to inform the Russian Government that His
Majesty’s Government were ready to assent in
principle to a Trans-Persian Railway, and to agree
to the initiation of negotiations between its pro
moters in this country and in Russia, subject to the
following conditions :—
“1. The line shall enter the British sphere
“ at Bunder Abbas instead of at Kerman, subject
“ to reconsideration as the result of actual survey,
“ and shall in any case join the Indian railway
“ system at Karachi and not at Aushki.
2. There shall be a break of gauge at Bunder
“ Abbas, or wherever the line enters the British
“ sphere of influence in Persia.
“3. In return for the co-operation of Great
“ Britain in the project, which examination has
“ shown to be likely to benefit Russia far moie
“ than Great Britain or India, Russia shall pledge
“ herself not to entertain or support, without
“ coming to an understanding with Great Britain,
“ any proposal for a line in the neighbourhood of
“ the Perso-Afghan frontier within the Russian or
“ neutral sphere in Persia.
“ 4. Russia shall support demands made by
“ Great Britain of the Persian Government _ for
“ concessions of the following branch lines
“ connected with the proposed Trans-Persian
“ Railway :—
“ (a) From Mohammerah to Khoremabad, with
“ a branch to port to be constructed at
Instructions to Sir G. Buchanan as
to proposed Trans-Persian Railway.
Sir E. Grey’s Despatch No. 129,
10th May 1911.
Pol. 3540/11.
“ Khor Musa.
“ (6) From Bunder Abbas or Charbar, via Regan
“ and Bam to Kerman.
“ (c) From Bushire, via Aliabad, to some point
“ on a line—
u (d) From Bunder Abbas, via Shiraz, to
“ Ahwaz.
“ 5. The mam line and those of the above
“ branches which lie in the neutral sphere— i.e., (a),
“ (c), and (d) —shall be internationalised ; but the
“ branch which lies entirely in the British sphere—
“ i.e., (b )—shall be a purely British project.
“ 6. Absolute equality of treatment in all respects
shall be guaranteed to British and British-Indian
“ trade passing over the line and its branches.
Sir G. Buchanan was to be at liberty to explain
frankly that the first three of these conditions were
dictated by strategic considerations, and had been
inserted m the interest of India. He could further
make it clear that His Majesty’s Government
gxpj’csscd no opinion as to the commercial or
financial aspects of the question.
In a note dated the 23rd May, Mr. Huth-Jackson
was informed of the main heads of the instructions
issued to Sir G. Buchanan.
Note of Foreign Office to Mr. Huth-
Jackson, 23rd May 1911.
Pol. 3700/11.