File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎292r] (215/280)

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151
which the Mule Hire Agreement could alone be maintained)
put merchants in a position to get rates of mule hire reduced
forthwith from 440 Krans to 300 Krans per Bushire mans
and has enabled them to keep rates steady whilst lowering
them slowly and perceptibly....
From the point of view of the security of the roads, and
C ; rates of hire, conditions are thus at present — though the
possibility of trouble and hostilities in the autumn must not
be discounted — fairly normal and distinctly favourable to the
recapture of the Isfahan market for trade via the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
and the check of Russian trade.
If compared with 7 years ago, imports to the Isfahan pro
vince via the Gulf are being severely restricted; and if under
otherwise favourable conditions British Trade is unable to
check the extension of Russian Trade southwards, it is due
solely to the dearth of pack animals between Bushire and
Isfahan, and Ahwaz and Isfahan....
If His Majesty’s Government agree that insufficiency of
transport animals from the south is largely to blame for the
poor resistance that is being offered by trade from the south
to the downward progress of Russian Trade, then the course
outlined above might form a basis for improving conditions...
... When, as is hoped, the Muhammerah —Dizful—
Khurramabad railway is, in 3 years time, well under construc
tion, it will be desirable to expedite a decision as to next
line from the sea to be built. Both Captain Wilson and the
writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , in their railway reports of 1912, urged, from different
points of view, that it was essential that Great Britain should
regard the trade of Isfahan as an objective of capital import
ance. Fresh statistics since those reports make it clear that
the transport hire paid of late between Bushire and Shiraz
is enormous and affords substantial grounds for thinking that
a railway between these two towns would pay its way before
long. This attack of Russian trade on Isfahan, and pressure
southwards makes it imperative that the railway from the
coast to Shiraz should be taken in hand without delay
There has recently been some discussion among Persian
merchants here for reviving the project of a motor transport