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File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.' [‎34r] (76/799)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (391 folios). It was created in 1908-1910. It was written in English. 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. .

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
BAGDAD RAILWAY.
SECRET.
[14835] No. 1.
Mr. Barry to Foreign Office.—(Received April 30.)
^ 2 , Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, S.W.,
Doar Mr. MaUet, April 28, 1910.
rn 1 ^ NCL0SE . for y° ur information a copy of a letter I received to-day from
M. lardieu. In this letter M. Tardieu sets forth the alterations in the terms of the
agreement already approved by M. Pichon, which the latter now wishes to make after
his recent interview in Paris with M. Gambon.
Instead of half the capital being found by the British and French financiers
respectively, he now proposes that 60 per cent, should be found by the French and
40 per cent, by the English.
Instead of the director-general of the Anglo-French Company being English, as
previously agreed, he now desires that the director-general should be a Frenchman.
Instead of the members of the “ conseil ” being half French and half English, he
now proposes that five should be French and only three English.
Instead of half of the material being supplied from France and half from
England, he now proposes that three-fifths be supplied by France and two-fifths by
England.
It seems to me that the modifications proposed will make the company entirely
French instead of Anglo-French. After consulting with my friends, I have come to
the conclusion that it would be difficult to raise English capital for a purely French
company, and that the terms now substituted by M. Pichon for those which he had
already agreed, should be adopted, would practically eliminate British interests from
the line. We propose, therefore, to urge M. Pichon either to restore the conditions
that the director-general should be an Englishman, or to agree to divide the whole
railway into two sections, the mileage of which should be as six to four, and that the
longer section, which would form a junction with the Syrian railways, should be
constructed entirely by the French, and the shorter section by the English, and that
after completion the two sections should be worked as one railway under a joint board.
If it be found impossible to arrange some such terms as these, it may well be necessary
for Youssouf Said Bey to proceed with his application independently of French
support. If he succeeds, and after all he will have this in his favour that he will at
least have no German opposition to face, at least, if he falls in with their suggestion to
take his line to Aleppo, owing to his agreement with me, a copy of which I enclose,
the railway will have to be worked under British control.
T leave to-day for Paris to confer with M. Tardieu.
Yours sincerely,
A. J. BARRY.
V ..v •
[April 30.]/ ^
e "o' ' 0 iM
Section 2.\p\
^ L f
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
M. Tardieu to Mr. Barry.
Cher Monsieur, .... Paris ’ le 27 avril ’ 191 °-
JE sais officieusement, et je saurai demain officiellement, que les modifications
demandees sont les suivantes :—
Capital: 60 pour cent fran^ais ; 40 pour cent anglais.
President: Frangais.
Conseil d Administration : Cinq Frangais ; trois Anglais.
f Directeur de 1 exploitation (nommant le personnel) : Frangais ; commandes
reparties 60 et 40 pour cent.
J’ai repondu a cette communication officieuse que, vis-a-vis de vous, je me
bornerais a vous la transmettre quand on me la ferait officiellement, car je voulais a,
[2707 gg —2]

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Content

The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, newspaper cuttings, maps and notes, relating to negotiations over the proposed Berlin to Baghdad Railway in the period 1903-1907.

The discussion in the volume relates to the economic, commercial, political and military considerations impinging on British strategy for the international negotiations over the development of a railway to Baghdad in particular.

Further discussion surrounds the motivations and strategies of British competitors in the area; included in the volume are four maps.

The principal correspondents in the volume include the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Lord Lansdowne, Sir Edward Grey), His Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople (Sir Nicholas O'Connor), the Under Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Charles Hardinge, Sir Thomas Henry Sanderson), and for India (Earl Percy, Sir Arthur Godley), the Viceroy of India (Lord Curzon of Keddleston), the Secretary to the Political and Secret Department of 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. (Sir Richmond Richie) and the London Manager of the Imperial Bank of Persia (George Newell).

Extent and format
1 volume (391 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 2764 (Bagdad Railway) consists of five volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/56-60. The volumes are divided into five parts with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 392; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 329-358; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front cover.

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English in Latin script
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File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.' [‎34r] (76/799), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/57, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026492731.0x00004d> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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