File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎238r] (107/280)

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England’s policy in Persia before the outbreak of the
World war was in the main determined by one factor: jealousy.
When France, in agreement with the Sultan of Mascat, at
tempted to create a point of support for her fleet in the Persian
Gulf near Jissa, the English admiral intervened and threatened
to bombard the place. England had been watching with the most
intense displeasure the construction of the Baghdad railroad,
which she had declined to finance jointly with Turkey and
Germany. According to the Times of May 23 ncl IQ 11 ! si 16
had no right to tell any state what railways it should build.
England tried to retard as much as lay in her power the con
struction of the last part of the line (Baghdad-Bazra) 1 ). When
the German firm of Woenckhaus & Co. successfully applied
itself in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to the buying and exporting of mother
of pearl shells, the English regarded this peaceful commerce in
their “mare clausum" as an infringement of their rights. They
opposed it by armed force, basing their action on their elastic
treaties with the East-Arabian chieftains. The first sailing
of the “Hapag“, took place in 1906. Arrangements for regular
service from Hamburg to Arabia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. were
greeted by the “Times" with ill concealed annoyance. It was
imputed to the Hamburg-America Line that it was subsidised
by government and that consequently political interests were
at stake. Every means seemed justified to weaken German
trade which, meanwhile, attained third place among the
nations trading with Persia.
x ) Whigham (The Persian problem, London 1903)- The correspondent
of “The Morning Post” says: Because we gave up the idea of a Mesopotamian
Railway ourselves, we cannot with any show of reason oppose the Germa
or the so-called German scheme. We are right, however, to bring it abo
if possible, that such a railway should terminate at a port more o
under British protection. If it terminates on Turkish soil, we may e
bothered with innumerable complications in the future.