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'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [227v] (462/540)
The record is made up of 1 volume (268 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1911-26 Dec 1912. It was written in English, French and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
68
municated by the Imperial Ottoman Government on the 15th April last., relating
to questions connected with the Baghdad Eailway and the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
.
In communicating this document to your Highness, I desire to call your atten
tion to two additional points which are not dealt with in the memorandum or i s
annexes.
In the first place His Majesty's Government consider it highly desirable
in order to secure the smooth working of the arrangements proposed m regard
to the Baghdad Eailway, that at least one British director, approved by His Majes
ty's Government, should be admitted to the board of the Baghdad Railway
Company. Such an arrangement would of course require the consent of the
German Government.
Secondly, as the Turkish Government are aware, certain rights are secured
to Persia under the Treaty of Erzeroum (1847), and the geographical position of
Mohammerah is such that the Shaikh cannot fail to be brought into contact with
the Riverain Commission ; and, unless provision is made for these facts there is
a risk of the friction arising which it is the object of the two Governments to avoid.
There would have been much to be said for an International Riveram Commission
on which Persia, equally with Great Britain and Turkey should be represented.
But as His Majesty's Government, appreciating the objections entertained by the
Porte, have not pressed for this, it is necessary to provide m some other way for
the representation of Persia in such matters as may touch her rights, whether
under the Treaty of Erzeroum or under this new agreement. His Majesty s
Government therefore propose that the commissioner, who is a British subject,
should be charged with the duty of making to the commission such representations
as may at any time be necessary upon any question affecting those nghts, and they
will be willing to use their good offices with the Persian Government and the bhaikh
of Mohammerah to induce them to agree to this arrangement.
These two points come, perhaps, outside the scope of the matters dealt with
in the memorandum, which are confined to subjects of negotiation beween Great
Britain and Turkey alone, but His Majesty's Government attach great importance
to them and trust that they will receive the favourable consideration of the Imperial
Ottoman Government.
I have, etc.,
E. GREY.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Turkish Ambassador.
1. His Majesty's Government have not failed to examine with much care
and attention the important proposals which are emboided in the memorandum
communicated by the Imperial Ottoman Government on the 15th April last.
2. Throughout their deliberations, His Majesty's Government have been
animated by the conviction that a complete agreement on outstanding questions
is eminently to be desired in the larger interests of both countries. They are
persuaded that such an agreement, to be justly appreciated, should be viewed not
only in the measure of sacrifice or advantage which each individual clause may
imply, but also in its cumulative and future effects upon Anglo-Turkish relations
in general. His Majesty's Government therefore desire to lay before the Ottoman
Government the following proposals and considerations.
3. For convenience of reference the several proposals under consideration may
be dealt with under three distinct headings
(i) The Baghdad Railway question.
(ii) ( The respective interests of Great Britain and Turkey in the region of
the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
.
(m) An increase in the Turkish customs duties.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains letters, telegrams, and memorandums pertaining to Anglo-Turkish negotiations brought on by the Baghdad Railway and particularly the extension to Basra. Correspondents include: Percy Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bushire, William Shakespear, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait, Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Louis Mallet, Assistant Under-secretary of State for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs, Charles Marling, British Ambassador to Persia, Gerard Lowther, British Ambassador to Constantinople, George Buchanan, British Ambassador to Russia, Admiral Edmond Slade, the Board of Trade, the Government of India, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , and several private companies, including Trans-Atlantic Trust Company, Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Imperial Ottoman Bank, and Imperial Persian Bank.
The form of the negotiations was a series of memorandums containing proposals and counter-proposals. The issues and subjects discussed are:
- ownership and control of the line;
- custom duty increases in the region;
- navigation of the Shatt al-Arab, including the establishment of a commission to oversee this;
- transport of railway materials by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers;
- delimitation of the Turkish-Persian border;
- status and territorial limit of Kuwait;
- other Gulf matters, including the statuses of Bahrain and Qatar, the suppression of arms traffic, piracy, and slavery, and the protection of pearl fisheries.
Folios 261-262 are a map showing the proposed territorial limits of Kuwait.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (268 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically. At the beginning (ff. 3-4) is a subject index, in no particular order but grouped under several broad headings. The numbers refer to folio numbers from the secondary, earlier sequence.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil numbers positioned in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . There are two earlier foliation systems running through parts of the volume. The first uses uncircled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages, and the top-left corner of verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. pages. This foliation system numbers pages if they have content on them, which is the case for all rectos and some versos. This foliation system appears intermittently through most of the volume. The other foliation system uses circled blue pencil numbers in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages, and appears from folios 5 to 42. Numerous printed materials contained in the volume have their own internal pagination systems. The following foliation irregularities occur: 1a, 34a, 51B, 219B, 250B.
- Written in
- English, French and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [227v] (462/540), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/611, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023826002.0x00003f> [accessed 24 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/611
- Title
- 'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1ar:1av, 2r:5v, 16r:22v, 24r:34v, 34ar:34av, 35r:42v, 44r:49v, 51r:51v, 51br:51bv, 52r:54v, 56r:63v, 66r:67v, 72r:112r, 113r:134v, 136r:168v, 170r:182v, 184r:204r, 205v:213v, 215v, 219br:219bv, 222r:225v, 227r:236v, 238r:250v, 250br:250bv, 251r:261v, 262v:264v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence