'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎61r] (127/540)

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nople, explaining the actual state of affairs ofthe Turkisli Customs at Baghdad,
and the necessity for a speedy settlement of the question.
I have, etc.j
GERARD LOWTHER.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Report by Commercial Attache, Constantinople, on Turkish Customs.
[Foreign Office despatch No. 23 (1591-12) of the 20th January 1912, enclosing i
correspondence with the Board of Trade.]
New Specific Tariff. —The draft of the new specific tariff which has been drawn
tip by Sir R. Crawford is now being printed, and copies will be obtained as soon as
they are available.
Baghdad Customs and Bonded Warehouses. —By a long-established custoni
sanctioned by the authorities, the breaking up of bales and cases of merchandise
which arrive at Baghdad in transit for Persia takes place within the precincts of
the Customs premises.
The operations of breaking such bales and cases and converting them into
packages of dimensions and weights suitable for animal transport takes place under
Customs supervision, and merchants are further allowed to store such merchandise
■in certain rooms—for which a rent is charged—inside the Customs buildings until
transport is available and the goods can be cleared for transit. It has long been
recognised that the accommodation at the Bagt dad Customs for the warehousing
of goods, whether for the local trade or for transit, is very limited, and demands
have frequently been made by local merchants for an increase of covered space.
The unsatisfactory state of the custom-houses at several ports—Baghdad included
■—was so far admitted by the Turkish Government that engagements were taken by
the Porte in 1907, on the conclusion of the agreement, for the increase of the import
duty from 8 per cent, to 11 per cent, for the rebuilding or enlarging of the custom
house premises at those ports. These engagements are being steadily carried out
by the Customs Department; improvements in some of the ports have already been
effected, whilst the work to be undertaken in others is being duly considered. A
considerable amount of correspondence has been exchanged between the civil and
customs authorities at Baghdad and the Central Administration in Constanti
nople on the subject of the new premises to be put up at Baghdad, and, although a
good deal of trouble has been taken, the administration has been unable to come to
a decision in the matter, owing to the fact that the area occupied by the present
buildings cannot be extended, and that no suitable site within the limits of the
city, and having direct access to the river, has so far been found.
In conversation recently with Sir R. Crawford on the subject I learnt that the
customs authorities are much concerned about the present state of confusion which
reigns at the Baghdad Customs, and which has been caused principally by the ac
cumulation of goods destined for Persia. The disturbed state of the country over the
Persian border has practically brought about a complete suspension of traffic bet
ween Baghdad and Kermanshah. Goods for transit to Persia are lying in the stores
of the Baghdad Customs, and the continual arrival of merchandise by river for Persia
has so encumbered the custom-house space that Bash Mudir (chief customs officer)
has been obliged to devise some temporary means for dealing with the situation. Al
though, contrary to the regulations, this officer has, with the approval of the central
office, authorised the temporary storage of goods arriving in transit in depots situat
ed outside the customs boundary and in various parts of the town. These depots
are hired by merchants, and are necessarily under Customs control, but this excep
tional measure has thrown an extra amount of work on the customs officials, and
they also incur responsibilities which the administration has every interest to see
them relieved of.