'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎185r] (375/540)

[This Bocmnent is the Property of His Britanaic Majesty's Govern"'pn+J
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA. 22 ^
CONFIDENTIAL. 8ection 2
[30867] No. 1.
(No 606 ) ^ ^ ar ^ ' in y to Edwwd Grey.—{Received July 22.)
' , 17, 1912.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 573 of the 12th instant, I have the honour
to torward herewith a despatch from His Majesty's consul at Aleppo reportine on the
progress of the Bagdad Railway.
I have, &c.
CHARLES M. MARLING.
\ Enclosure in No. 1.
Consul Fontana to Sir Gerard Lowther.
(No-. 43.)
' t u a vxp • . Aleppo, July B, 1912.
i ilAv ji, the honour to submit the following short report on the progress made
m the construction of the Bagdad Railway line in this district.
The station at Aleppo is now nearing completion. Strong iron sleepers, imported
from Germany, are being used throughout the permanent way. The rails have been
laid from Aleppo to Muslemieh, the junction, and thence north-eastwards as far as the
Sajur. A temporary wooden bridge is being built over the Sajur. Work has begun
upon a temporary wooden bridge to span the Euphrates near Jerablus, which should be
completed by the end of October next. Fears are expressed as to the stability of this
temporary bridge in flood time. It is said that the line from the Sajur to the Euphrates
will be finished by the end of September. I understand that the various pieces
required to construct the Euphrates permanent steel bridge have not yet been purchased
owing to the high prices now ruling in Germany. Difficulties are, moreover, foreseen as
to the construction of an embankment near Jerablus village. The station at Muslemieh
is nearly completed. The stations between there and Jerablus will be Akterin, Chorban
Bey, Sajur, and Helman.
From Muslemieh westwards the line has been laid up to some little way beyond
Catma, a distance of over 40 kilom. in all.
The expulsion of over 500 Italian engineeis and workmen seems to have seriously
afiected the construction of the line. Some Greek engineers and mechanics were
afterwards brought over to carry on the work, which has been rapidly pushed forward.
Most of the manual labour, however, since the expulsion of the Italians, appears to have
been performed by native gangs of labourers, and the rails in various places between
Muslemieh and the Sajur have been unevenly laid, viz., one rail higher or lower than
the other. This may prove a serious drawback to heavy trains travelling at any speed.
I understand that no money has been paid for the expropriation of the lands in
the Sajur-Jerablus region, saving, perhaps, certain of those which are actually under
cultivation. Much dissatisfaction has been caused at Aleppo by the low prices paid by
the company, backed bv the Government, for the expropriation of private property,
and at Alexandretta it is said that much real injustice has been done to landowners in
this way.
The company began, and have carried on the work regardless, apparently, of
expense, and huge sums have been expended in connection with the work. An
enormous quantity of costly material has been imported, a large staff of highly paid
German engineers, craftsmen, officials, and native clerks are employed, and the wages
paid to the labourers on the line have been quite abnormal. The company, nevertheless,
have acquired an unenviable reputation through all this district. Various contractors
for the construction of sections of the line have abandoned their contracts with great
pecuniary loss. A French contractor, who had invested his whole capital in the work,
died recently at Aleppo, leaving a widow nearly penniless with a claim of over 2,000L
against the company. Another French subject, an engineer, who threw up work in
the Far East to obtain employment on the Bag.iad Railway, spent his entire capital
[2546 y—2]