File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.' [211v] (431/799)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
He paid that he would be prepared now to agree that the section from Bao-dad to
the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, Koweit, or elsewhere, should be under British control, and should be
constructed by British
agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
and with British material, the other interests only takinr
a subordinate share. It would be necessary to obtain the assent of the Turks to such
arrangement, but he believed that there would be less difficulty about this under the
present than under the old regime.
I asked what relation the British group would have to the rest of the line He
said that the arrangement for that had been made, and that he thought the simplest
plan would be to divide the enterprise into two parts at Bagdad. He therefore
proposed that the British group should have nothing to do with the line north of
Bagdad.
1 pointed out that in order to complete the line to Bagdad a very large annual
sum would be required as guarantee, and that it appeared to me that it would be a very
long- time, if not an indefinite time, before the Turks would be able to assume this heavv
burden. J
Dr. Gwinner said that he looked to the increase in the customs duties to provide
the money. He was aware that the British Government had declined to give their
assent unless a pledge were given that the revenues should not be applied to the
Bagdad Bailway. The Germans, on the other hand, desired that they should be so
applied.
The Grand Vizier had spoken to him of the dilemma in which they were placed
and he Dr. Gwinner, had suggested to the Grand Vizier that a solution was to
be tound m British co-operation on the basis of British control of the Bagdad-Gulf
section. &
I then pointed^ out that the type of railway now being constructed was
unnecessarily expensive, that if the gauge were reduced and a more economical type of
construction adopted the guarantee at present provided for four sections (840 kflom
from Bulgourlou onwards) would suffice to take the railway to Bagdad.
• , r " ^winner admitted that the type of railway was unnecessarily costly, especially
m the laurus section. He had endeavoured to persuade the Turks under the old
regime to accept more economical curves and gradients for this section. They had
however, declined, and he was unwilling to enter upon a new negotiation because it
v ould give hostile interests an opportunity for opposition.
I pointed out that if an^ agreement were arrived at for co-operation this reason
would cease to exist. Dr. Gwrnner assented, but, while admitting that economies might
h6 Str0ng1 ^ ob j ected t0 a chan g e of g au £ e > and antici-
pated that the Turks would object on military grounds. He added that England, while
m-plT h t Ve a ra r way from . t ! ) ® Mediterranean to the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, would, he supposed,
prefer a change of gauge, which would be an obstacle to the use of the line for military
purposes or troops coming from Europe. ^
„ n j TGd n °u V: sy fiual answer as t0 the possibility of a cheaper type of line;
anv V? ^ V ^ V® SU pestion was merely from myself, and that I was not in
that ::*^r ed *4 ma t e 0r , aCCe P fc P ro P° sa,s of any kind. Dr. Gwinner added
as he woidd beT r8ga - dlng T 6 , ehan S e of fcy P e w °Md have to be taken in six weeks,
as he would be beginning actual construction after that.
the reserve of finn^nofT 6 f • I;i *h a T> Gwinner said that, taking into account
that thev would h V 111 ^"i* t ^ e Koma-iBulgourlou section, he expected
nrofit on y t re tW V"” 6 m hen they reached E1 Hehf, this reserve and the
profat on tW easy sections sufficing to pay for the costly Taurus section.
llSokilomVnr P • remamd !- V® line E1 Helif to Bussorah (about
° 5 250 000Z With ,T^ mner an lcl P a ted a net saving of 2,000/. per kilometre, or over
^hieh there 3 t 8 eT* he P ro P os f s *o create a reserve fund to meet the loss
the comnanv unrip t°h ^ working when the traffic increases. Under the contract
p ^ unde H a kes to work all traffic up to 10,000 fr ner kilometre for a
dfvldedffi the nro 0 no-r “ 0metre - Traffic 1 receipts above that sum are to be
Government thp 1 ° ° ber cerd * to com P a ny and 60 per cent, to the
the gross receinf-Q fh ™ Cann ? t wor ^ 40 P er cent, or even 45 per cent, of
necessary to provide " an lncrea81tl g loss traffic grows, for which it is
of 2 OOoTTefklm^ ‘h 00ntra0t might 1,6 modi6 e d ’ n this respect. If the economy
this” with the idnuf 16 ,? calI ) le unneoes sary for the purpose of creating a reserve fund,
in the Guarantee & cheaper type of line, would permit of a very large reduction
- - »■>—»» a.
About this item
- 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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/57
- Title
- File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:164v, 166r:238r, 238r:238v, 238v:277r, 277r:277v, 277v:285r, 285r:285v, 285v:363v, 365r:392r, 392
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence