'The Baghdad Railway Negotiations' [‎62r] (13/32)

The Bagdad Railway.
repudiation, aud to believe that, at any rate, tliere would be 110 important early extension
of the railway system in Asiatic Turkey beyond Konia, which was reached in 189(J.
Thus the mistaken impression was encouraged that a railway extension to Bagdad
and beyond was not a serious financial proposition for a very long period oi time ; and,
although the revenue of both the Konia and Angora lines showed remarkable expansion
after 1896, while the burden on the Ottoman Government was correspondingly reduced,
and the country was materially benefited by the increased prosperity of the provinces
opened up, still it was generally argued that these lines tapped some oi' the richest
parts of Asia Minor and that similar results could not be derived from a line crossing
the arid wastes of the upper Euphrates and Tigris basin. Not a few w liteis according }
found comfort in the persuasion that, without an increase in the Turkish customs duties,
for which British assont would admittedly be necessary, it would not be practicable
for the Turkish Treasury, in its chronic state of penury, to provide the substantial
revenue which would be required as a guarantee for the Bagdad Railway to be built
and to be worked ; and, even down to April 1903, some over-confident British publicists
still exalted this view to an article of faith. ™ n i i • i
All through the Armenian horrors of 1890 and lb9/ Germany had remained
studiously indifferent to any international obligations to promote refonns m ^ sia ^ lu 1 °^j
she had favoured Turkey in the settlement after the Greek war of > b ^ e had laul
down her flute in Crete. Finally, while Abdul Hamid was still boycotted by the civilisec
world in the autumn of 1898 William 11 made an Imperial progress to Constantinople
and Syria. On the other hand. Lord Salisbury never wavered in his opposition to
Snltaii's svstem of rule in Asiatic Turkey, and he succeeded in the autumn of 1896 m
obtaining the consent of the Emperor of Ruesia to the employment of coercion lor he
huroducdon of administrative reforms, although, for reasons outs.de the seope of h^
Dresent DaDer force was not ultimately resorted to. All this A^as sufticieiith Liu
the Sultan who of course was likewise aware of Lord Salisbury s successful resistance
the reDresentations of the German Government that the Turkish occupation ot
Thessaly should be permitted to continue until the Greek war indemmtj ha. een
Paid During the German Emperor's visit to Constantinople in iSgS the proposal to
construct a line to Bagdad again came into noUco throughoitUhOJ attempt - •
mndp bv German interests to obtain the concession tor a line to Hie ieisian
«i.« -v... i.
December 1899.^ q i - r i t favoured approach to Bagdad along
For strategical reasons the Sultan had at ^ t n Mosul • but formidable
what
engineerin
• See " Turkey, No. 2 (1898)" ICO- 8851], pages 230 and 281.