Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎162v] (324/442)

2009
2010
Supply (Committee). HOUSE OF COMMONS Foreign Office.
. [Sir J. D. Rees.3 |
policy. All tradition has so far gone by
the board that that may be excusable, but
there are military and strategic objections.
There is no commercial need for any such
line. It is true Russia can make a line to
Ispahan within her own influence. It is
true we can make a line from the Persian
Gulf northwards, though it is not so clear
we can do that, because that is neutral
zone and not our own zone; bur it seems
to me there is no reason why we should
not wait and see if Russia is going to make
this line to Ispahan. I think it is by no
means certain that without British in
fluence and British cash Russia will be in a
position to do that, and I would urge that
we should be in no hurry to come to terms,
but should imitate that diplomatic delay
which with great advantage has been
exercised on a great many other occasions.
The best railway route, if you have to take
commercial considerations only, would
without any shadow of doubt be to link up
the Russian-Turkish system with Herat.
It may be we shall get the Ameer’s con
sent to the Anglo-Russian Convention, and
it may be those who urge there should be
railway communication between India and
Europe, will think that the best line
from a commercial and also from a
geographical point of view should be
adopted, but at any rate it would be a
great misfortune if we were committed to
the other line to which for strategic
reasons there must surely be the greatest
objections. Those objections were stated
very clearly and forcibly by the hon. Mem
ber for Hull (Mr. Mark Sykes) to-night.
We must remember that the position of
the defence of India will be completely
altered when once a line running east and
west is constructed across Persia. We
have to take into account in this matter
our position as the chief owners of the
Suez Canal. We have to remember the
expense of the Army in India. I do not
think it should be reduced by a man, and I
sincerely hope it will not be reduced as the
result of the Commission at present
sitting; but I am prepared to admit it is
a heavy charge on the Indian revenue, and
I dread any action taken which under any
circumstances may make it necessary to
increase that charge. There was one great
soldier, I believe he was the greatest who
ever was, Napoleon, who always urged
that there was no frontier in the world
equal to a desert. We have that frontier
now. Why should we, of all people,
hasten to destroy that frontier by making
a railway across it 1 ? I do hope this ques
tion will be perfectly open to discussion
and deliberation, and that we may have
the opinions of all the Indian and English
military authorities fully before us before
we are committed to any further action in
that direction. I should like again to say
that I should be pleased if the Foreign
Secretary, whose conduct of business I for
one respectfully and humbly approve,
could discourage the treatment of all sub
jects in this House in a manner which im
plies that other nations are less humane,
less just, and less generous than ourselves.
If, whenever matters are represented to
him in that light he v ? ould repudiate—I
do not say he ever actually encourages it—
but if he w r ould actually repudiate the idea
and say, “ I will not deal with this subject
unless it is first of all distinctly understood
that Russians, Portuguese and others are
just as brave, just as generous, and just as
good as ourselves ”—I believe, if he would
do that, he would increase the hold on the
country which he has established by what
I, for one, freely admit to be his generally
satisfactory conduct of foreign affairs.
Sir GEORGE TOULMIN : I suppose we
ought not to be surprised at finding in this
House champions for every tyranny, who
put forward excuses for abuses. Wherever
there is a weak race that is being op
pressed, the oppressor may be quite sure
he will find an apologist in the Member for
East Nottinghamshire v r ho has just
spoken.
Sir J. D. REES : I am anxious to under
stand this matter for my future guidance.
Is the remark of the hon. Gentleman of
less personal application than those I was
venturing to use when I was called to
order by you ?
The DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN: I called
the hon. Member to order because he was
discussing the conduct of another hon.
Member, and not the Vote which was be
fore the Committee, namely, the salary of
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Mr. MORRELL: I hope I may have a
chance of replying to the remarks of the
hon. Member opposite.
The DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN : That is not
a point of Order.
Sir G. TOULMIN : I will come at once to
the question of Portugal. We have a
special responsibility for Portugal, an old
ally and a friendly Power, and I hope the
Foreign Secretary will not, in any sense,