File 3531/1905 Pt 2 ‘Mesopotamia:- Navigation of Tigris + Euphrates; Euphrates + Tigris Steam Navigation Co; Hamidieh Co.’ [‎9r] (17/630)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government,]
ASIATIC TURKEY ANI) ARABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[September 25.]
t e octjSS 4.
[37331] No. 1.
/Sir G. Lowther to Sir Edivard Grey.—(Received September 25.)
/ d('r°
(No. 633.)
Sir, Therapia, September 16, 1911.
WITH reference to my despatch. No. 234 of the 10th April last, I have the honour
to forward herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty’s Acting Consul at Bussorah
relative to the proposed transfer of Agha Jalfer’s steamers from the Euphrates to
the Tigris.
I may observe that Mr. Matthews appears to be under misapprehension when he
states in paragraph 5 of bis despatch that the permission accorded to Agha Jaffer to
transfer his steamers from the Euphrates to the Tigris would appear to constitute an
infringement of the concession granted to the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation
Company, which, Mr. Matthews understands, expressly excludes navigation on the
Tigris and Euphrates by foreign companies or companies financed by foreign capital,
Messrs. Lynch never having obtained anything in the shape of a monopoly. They did,
it is true, virtually enjoy, jointly with the Idare-i-Nehrieh, the monopoly conferred on
the latter company, which was a Civil List concern, by the ex-Sultan, but that
monopoly has since been abolished by the decision of the Constitutional Go\eminent
declaring the navigation of the rivers of Turkey open to all Ottoman subjects, and it
would be impossible for me to maintain these arguments at the Porte.
Agha Jaffer’s association with foreign capital will no doubt be difficult to prove,
and Messrs. Lynch and Co. might easily have acted in the same manner as the German
firm is now said to be doing had they been disposed to do so.
I have, &c.
GERARD LOWTHER.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Matthews to Sir G. Lowther.
(No. 44.)
Sir, Bussorah, August 18, 1911.
WITH reference to Mr. Crow’s despatch No. 12 of the 18th March last, I have the
honour to report, for your Excellency’s information, that it is stated on excellent
authority that Agha Jailer has obtained permission from the Ministry of Public Works
to transfer his steamers from the Euphrates to the Tigris. Agha Jaffer is said to owe
this permission chiefly to the whole-hearted support given to him by Jelal Bey, the late
Vali of Bussorah.
It appears that Agha Jaffer found it impossible to run his steamers at a profit on
the Euphrates on account of the insecurity of the country (my despatch No. 34 of the
30th June) and the heavy toll levied by the riverain Arabs.
It is anticipated that the existing river steam-ship companies—the Euphrates and
Tigris Steam Navigation Company and the Turkish Idare-i-Nehrieh—will be unable
to cope with the large consignments of material which aie expected to arrive shortly
for the Bagdad Railway, that freights will be raised, and that steamers on the Tigris
will earn large profits. Whether these anticipations are likely to be realised or not,
several other natives besides Agha Jaffer are endeavouring to obtain permission to put
steamers on the Tigris. I might mention Yusuf Abdul ’Ahad, a Turkish subject
enjoying French protection, who about a year ago obtained a permit from Nizam Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. ,
ex-Vali of Bagdad, for two steamers on the Tigris. Yusuf Abdul ’Ahad has not seen
his way to avail himself of this permit, as by one of the conditions it is revocable at the
pleasure of the Government. Pie is now trying to have this objectionable condition
omitted.
With regard to Agha Jaffer, there is no doubt that he has Persian partners and
that he receives financial assistance from the German firm of Wonkhaus and Co., the
local agents of the Hamburg-Amerika line. I have the authority of my Russian
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