'A strategical study of Persia and the Persian Gulf' [‎15] (23/150)

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a. European point of view all these are almost negligible factors
in their present condition. Meshed (75,000) on the east, a great
road centre and in a fairly fertile district is the most important
p'ace in Khor'san; while on the west Tabriz (200,000), the
capital of Azarbaijan, is the largest commercial emporium in Persia
and is on the main road from Julfa to Tehran, ^Next in import
ance in the east come Astarab'd (12,000) which might be made the
base of an army operating from the Caspian in a very fertile
but undeveloped district; Kuchan (10,000) and Shahrud (/ ,000) the
centres of roads and fertile districts *, in the north, Rasht (40,000)
owing to its position close to Enzali the main Persian port on the
Caspian; in the west Kh5i (60,000) and Urumieh (35,000) on
the main road on the west side of Lake Urumieh each in the
centre of a fertile district. The former, with Marand, block the
only place s at which the Mesho Dagh is pierced ^ by good roads
from the Russian frontier to the north. Other important places
in the south of the zone, either because they are on main roads or
are the centres of fertile districts, are Kirm^nshah (80,000), feinneh
(32,000) and Hamadan (50,000).
22. The Russians have great trade interests in this zone,
a Russian Bank at Tehrln, roads they have made, etc.; while of the
Persian debt of some £6,000,000, the Russian Government hold
£3,300,000 and the Russian Bank £1,160,000. Their present and
future interests are so great that in order to protect them they
have placed troops in occupation of various places within the zone
as detailed in Part II, mra. 5.
23. The British interests in this zone are of much less importance
they have little trade there, but they have established the Imperial
Bank of Persia with a capital of £650,000 and of the Peisian debt
the British Government hold £320,000 and the Imperial Bank
£690,000; while, besides the Telegraph concessions already men
tioned, the Persian Transport Company have made the Tehran-
Qum-Sultanabad road and have concessions for mr.kmg others,
^hey are also politically interested in preventing Russia approach
ing the Afghan-Persian frontier.
24. The interests of other foreign countries in this zone are
smaller Turkey has considerable trade interests, and political and
strategical ones on the Urumieh frontier. Afghanistan has some
trade interests, but she is chiefly concerned politically in frontier
matters. Germany's interests are mainly prospective, but she