'Reports on (1) the Conservancy of the Shatt-el-Arab river from the Port of Basra to the Persian Gulf and on (2) the Development of the Port of Basra. By Sir George Buchanan Kt., C.I.E' [‎10v] (24/62)

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Communications .—The main lines o£ communications are along the rivers
Tigris and Euphrates. There is a railway to Nasiriyah, and railway
communication will shortly be established with Baghdad.
Port Facilities. —-In the days of the Turks, there were no port facilities, but
wharves have now been built where vessels can lie alongside and
discharge their cargoes at all states of the tide ; whilst there is mooring:
accommodation in the river opposite Basra for 24 deep-sea steamers.
Owing to the bar at the mouth of the Shatt-el-Arab sea-going vessels proceed
ing to Basra are limited to a draught of 21 feet at high-water on spring tides, but in
a separate report I have indicated the measures to be taken to remove the bar,
(3) Plan No. 2 accompanying this report shews the various ports in the Gulf
with the trade routes and towns served by them, and on comparing the statements
of their trade and advantages it will be apparent that even before the war Basra
easily held the first place ; and considering its great natural advantages and possi
bilities of future development, I think there can be no doubt that with the advent
of peace and a progressive administration, Basra will in the near future become
* the great port, of the Middle East.
The port which will, in my opinion, come next to Basra is Bandar Abbas #
where money could be spent with advantage on port improvements and communi
cations ; tyut for Koweit and Bushire, I can see no future prospects,—on the
contrary, with the development of Basra, they will probably lose a great deal o£
their present trade.
TRADE PROSPECTS.
(4) The Trade Commission have dealt fully with the prospects of British
trade in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , but it may be desirable to discuss the
subject more particularly from the point of view of the Port of Basra.
The statistics of trade in Mesopotamia and the Gulf are given in Mr. Lloyd's
report dated 1908, and in the recent report of the Mesopotamian Trade Commission
but I submit that statistics of trade in the past are almost valueless for the
purpose of estimating the trade of the future, as astonishing developments may be
expected at the conclusion of the war.
On the assumption that, {a) Basra becomes a British Possession , (6) the bar
at the mouth of the Shatt-el-Arab will be removed ; (c) the ordinary port
facilities found at any first-class port will be provided at Basra ; and that {d)
improved communications will be given by river and railroad between Basra and
Baghdad, and between Basra and Southern Persia : I have, after close study of the
subject, formed the following conclusions
{%) Basra will become the principal seaport not only of Mesopotamia but of
Persia, and the main distributing centre for the bulk of the merchan
dize imported by ocean vessels for the whole of Mesopotamia,—-
Kermanshah via Baghdad, and Ispahan and Southern Persia via
Ahwaz, and will also be the port of shipment for the greater part of
the exports from Mesopotamia and Southern Persia.
(ii) The Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports will probably be largely served by coasting,
steamers from Basra rather than from Europe or India direct, as it
will not pay for large deep draught vessels to stop at the small ports
on their way to Basra.
{Hi) There will be a great and rapid increase in the trade with India and the
Far East, more especially as the industrial development of India
progresses, and India will find in Mesopotamia and Persia a ready
market for her surplus manufactured goods.