Skip to item: of 52
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'Memorandum respecting the Bagdad Railway' [‎149v] (16/52)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (25 folios). It was created in Jun 1906. It was written in English and French. 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.

Apply page layout

16
press to discredit the enterprise, and to render it
impossible for His Majesty’s Government to associate
themselves in any way with it, upon the ground that it
was closely connected with the German Government
and detrimental to British interests. We felt that,
until we were better able to judge of the proportions
which this hostile movement might assume, it would be
desirable that we should avoid giving it any farther
encouragement. The matter would come before
Parliament before the House adjourned, and we should,
therefore, be better able in a few days to decide as to
our future action. My own view was that the attack was
founded upon misapprehensions, and I strongly deprecated
any modification of the attitude which we had hitherto
assumed. I was assured by Sir E. Cassel and Lord
Revelstoke that they had up to the present in no way
committed His Majesty’s Government. The formula
given to Lord Revelstoke on the 23rd March had been
used only for the purpose of sketching * suggestions ’
which might be made to His Majesty’s Government on
the part of the British group, should the British and
foreign groups be able to come to terms. It was in
these circumstances entirely for us to decide whether
we desired to proceed further, and if the negotiations
were continued, nothing could be concluded either as
to the constitution of the Board of Directors or as to
other matters of detail until we had been thoroughly
satisfied. They explained to me that, in their view,
the participation w^as to take place upon a ‘ basis of
absolute equality as between English, French, and
German interests,’ and that ‘ no one group was to be
given any superiority or control.’ They also explained
that the Anatolian Railway would be amalgamated
with the main project, and that the three members of
the Board who had been described as to be nominated
by the Anatolian Railway would be nominated by the
whole Board. France, Germany, and England would
have eight members each, and no one Power would,
therefore, be able to override the wishes of the other
two, which would command 16 votes out of a total
of 30.
(Signed) “Lansdowne.
“Foreign Office, April 7, 1903.”
The press campaign against the scheme was
meanwhile becoming increasingly violent, and
on the 23rd April a declaration was made in
Parliament by tbe Prime Minister to the effect
that His Majesty’s Government had withdrawn
their support from the scheme.
The nature of the press criticisms, and the
extent to which they were well founded, is con-
sidered in the final part of this Memorandum
(see p. 29).

About this item

Content

This file is a Foreign Office memorandum concerning the Baghdad railway written by Alwyn Parker,who had negotiated with both the German Government and the Ottoman Empire on this issue and was considered the Foreign Office's specialist on the topic.

The memorandum is divided up as follows:

1. General Railway development in Asia Minor;

2. The Baghdad Railway Convention of 1903;

3. The Anglo-German negotiations of 1903;

4. The prospects of completion of the line without British co-operation;

5. The influence of the railway on British interests.

The file contains a map of the rail lines on folio 159 entitled 'Le Chemin De Fer De Bagdad' (The Baghdad Railway).

The appendix to the memorandum contains a copy (in French) of the Convention de la Societe Imperiale Ottomane du Chemin de Fer de Bagdad of March, 1903 (folios 160-166), in and on folio 167 a list of official correspondence and publications referenced in the memorandum.

Extent and format
1 volume (25 folios)
Arrangement

On folio 167, the memorandum contains a list of all official correspondence and publications referenced in it.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at f 142, and terminates at f 167, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'Memorandum respecting the Bagdad Railway' [‎149v] (16/52), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B153, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100028516862.0x000011> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100028516862.0x000011">'Memorandum respecting the Bagdad Railway' [&lrm;149v] (16/52)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100028516862.0x000011">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000833.0x0001aa/IOR_L_PS_18_B153_0016.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000833.0x0001aa/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image