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File 4345/1912 'Trans-Persian Railway' [82v] (169/330)
The record is made up of 1 volume (163 folios). It was created in 1911-1913. It was written in English. 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. .
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10
III.
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
,
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
(Sir Percy Cox, K.C.I.E.),
20th December 1910.
“As I understand the position, we must now assume complete good faith
on the part of Russia under the Convention, and abandonment of former
designs on India. We cannot, therefore, take our stand on the fundamental
objections of Indian strategists against the connection of the Indian and
Russian railway systems. If the above premise is conceded, it seems to me
that an attitude of mere benevolent neutrality will hardly suffice, and might
be dangerous ; and that having exercised the right, which the promoters
concede to us, of constructing the line from Kerman southwards, we should
support the present proposal to the extent of co-operating in the thorough
examination of the project from the business and engineering points of
view. . . .
“ . . . With the above safeguards [he., concessions for certain branch
lines, &c.], and provided that commercial facilities for all be assured
throughout the whole railway, I believe that both Indian and English trade
would benefit and find new openings equally with Russian, and it cannot but
be supposed that the general effect of the railway would be to improve the
administration, develop the country, and increase the capacity of the Persian
market.”
IV.
Director-General of Commercial Intelligence, India
(Mr. E. Noel Paton), 31st December 1910.
“ . . . I . . think that the Board of Trade view of the value of
the railway for trade purposes is much nearer the truth than that of Sir
Henry McMahon. In fact I agree generally with the Board of Trade. . . .
I agree . . . that, having regard to the conditions under which it
almost certainly would be constructed, the railway stands to do a great deal
more for Russian than for Indian trade. Indian trade with Persia can best
be served by rad ways from the seaboard. ... If participation in this
inland railway is to diveri attention from the littoral lines (and it will be
strange if it does not) such participation will be deplorable. I agree,
therefore, that the immediate construction of a line to the Gulf should
. . . be assured. . .
. . . If it can be assured, then we may . . . look at the new
inland project with a wider view . . . Most of the mam impediments
to progress of all sorts [in Persia] are precisely of the kind that give way
before improved communications. It is not merely a question of improved
transpoi tation , . but all those other obstacles .... must
almost certainly persist until a railway opens the country up .... No
doubt the new railway will serve her [i.e., Russia] better than it will us, but
it will seive us too, and on the whole it would, I think, create a greater
likelihood of our getting even with Russia than can be said to exist at
present. .... It is almost incredible that the more intimate commerce,
mercantile and social, that would attend the creation of a railway, could fail
to bring about some sort of assimilation of that part of Persia which is
nearest our borders. 1 should imagine that from a political point of view
this would be worth something even if the railway did not pay for a good
many years. I should not expect it to pay in the literal sense until the
process of assimilation had gone pretty far. . .
About this item
- Content
This volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, notes, printed reports, a press cutting and a map, relating to the connection of the railway system of Europe to the railway system of India by the construction of railway lines through Persia.
The discussion in the volume relates to the proposal of a Russian consortium and the response of the Government of India to this proposal. A Report (No. 18 of 1911' folios 144 - 160) notes that the Government of India would do well to accept in principle the Russian proposal subject to a number of modifications. A map entitled 'Indexed Map Showing Proposed Railways in Persia' (folio 160) accompanies the report. Suggested modifications included:
- the point of intersection of the trans-Persian railway with the Indian railway system (British preference for Karachi); and concessions for branch lines (Bandar Abbas, Charbar, Mohammerah);
- the requirement that both main and branch lines in Persian territory be deemed international with Russia and Britain holding preponderant shares and Persia included as a participant;
- and the use of a different gauge railway in the British and Russian zones. As a quid pro quo for their support on this matter Britain expected the Russians to cease any consideration of extending the Trans-Caspian Railway to the Persia-Afghan border.
Also discussed are the negotiations about a loan between the Société des Études du Chemin de Fer Transpersan and the Persian Government and a suggestion that the British and French governments should guarantee a substantial loan by securing it against the crown jewels.
The following topics are also discussed: the Foreign Office proposal to refer the whole question of railway development in Persia to the Committee of Imperial Defence; a draft application for the concession; a memorandum by Brigadier General A H Gordon; dispatch of instructions to His Majesty's Ambassador at St Petersberg on the attitude of the Her Majesty's Government; the view of the Sir G Buchanan on the attitude of the Russian Government to the question of alignment.
The principal correspondents in the volume include: His Majesty's Secretary of State for India, the Earl of Crewe; Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, E H S Clark; His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Edward Grey; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Zachariah Cox; the President of the Railway Board; Agent to the Governor-General and Chief Commissioner in Baluchistan.
This volume includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (163 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 4345 (Trans-Persian Railway) consists of 1 volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 163; 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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/307
- Title
- File 4345/1912 'Trans-Persian Railway'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:42v, 43v:159v, 161r:162v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence