File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.' [‎273r] (556/799)

1,107 kilometres ^ t ^ ie freight by the all German route would be'
, lometres at 6 paras a kilometre, or 29s. 10^. a ton for the journey.
from^Hfr 1 to^l^pDo^lff'^ rou te the cost would be at 6 paras a ton a kilometre
of 147 kilometresf at 22 ‘paxta tTnV 111 W® tou. P ° t0 AleXandretta ' a distance
Hit to Alexandretta per ton by the all German route, 29s. 10H.
Hit to Alexandretta by the direct route, 31s. i(/. a ton.
Section should it seem to them desirable. xanaretta Aleppo
According to the maximum rates I find that the freight charges ner ton
between Alexandretta and Aleppo work out as follows g g6S pei ton
92 miles=14:7 kilometres : 4,000 paras=l lira.
First class goods at 35 paras a ton a kilometre would pay 23s l|d a ton
Second class goods at 27 paras a ton a kilometre would pay 17s. lOd. a ton.
Third class goods at 22 paras a ton a kilometre would pay 14s. 7d, a ton.
Cattle at 27 paras a head per kilometre would pay 17s. 10d. a head
Calves, donkeys and pigs at 9 paras a head wouM pay 5s. lid. a head.
Sheep and goats at 4 paras a head womd pay 2s. 7|d. a head
From the figures given at page 174 of the Statesman’s Year Book for 1908
1 h f, ve T w « tked ° u .t average charge per ton per mile on all goods traffo carried
on the Indian Railways m 1906. It comes to 421 nenop f -carried
3.5. 37. a ton for 92 miles. pence per ton V™ mlh ° r
These figures show clearly that a Euphrates Valley Railway will be at the
mercy of the German Company, if the latter is allowedto construct the Alennn
Alexandretta Section: if it is allowed to have the port works at Alexandretta"
its position will be even stronger. ACAdnuieita,
The best solution of the difficulty, as far as the German Company is concerned
would appear to be that the Turkish Government should itself construct the
Alexandretta Section, and so prevent others from levying a tax on the nrodnc
tiveness of irrigation works in Mesopotamia* ^
If the preferential rights of the French Company extend in theory to a ore
ference over a Government Railway, they could scarcely be enforced in practice
for the Turkish Government could afford to make the railway on terms
as regards rates of freight which no Company could accept, because in the case of
the Government what it loses in freights it gains in the value of the produce of
its irrigation works* r
Aleppo to Baghdad Section.
The Select Committee established the fact that this section presented no
engineering difficulties, though a bridge would be needed across the Euphrates
There are no previous concessions, as far as I know, to interfere with this
section. It would probably cross the Euphrates near Falluja so as to run on the
south of the navigable canal which will join the Euphrates near Ealluja to the
Tigris near Baghdad. This large canal would ensure the line from all danger
or difficulty connected with inundations. ^
Baghdad to Basrah Section.
The right to make this or to have it made under British management in the
future should be obtained. The Germans could have no reasonable objection pro
vided one or both of the great rivers were kept between their line and the proposed
line. The need for this line is not so urgent as is the need for an outlet on the
Mediterranean, and I think it is not possible to form an opinion as to whether
13 F.D.