File 4345/1912 'Trans-Persian Railway' [‎117r] (238/330)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
[A]
PERSIA.
Confidential.
No. 1.
Foreign Office to Sir W. Garstin.
Foreign Office, November 23, 1912.
I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to acknowledge the receipt of Viscount
Errington’s letter of the 18th instant, in which he furnishes certain explanations
respecting the enclosures in the letter addressed by you on the 5th instant to this
department on the subject of the Trans-Persian Railway project.
Before dealing, as promised in my preliminary letter of the 14th November, with
the proposals now under consideration, I am to recall the important reservations which
His Majesty’s Government have consistently maintained in regard to this question.
In a letter dated the 2nd March, 1912, and addressed to Lord Errington, the
following passages occur :—-
“We have no objection to any percentage of distribution or representation, of which
Lord Revelstoke may approve, in so far as the interests of Great Britain, Russia, France, and
ourselves are concerned in the Societe d Htudes. . , .
u But wc must bo understood to reserve full freedom of action when it comes to the actual
construction and subsequent management and control of the lines which may be built. We shall
expect if the scheme is to be carried out with our approval, to be consulted about the alignment,
constitution of the board, representation of British interests, percentage of construction orders
to be placed on the British market, and, in general outline, about freight and passenger rates.
“Our obiect is not to raise difficulties, but to reserve our freedom of action m regard to such
matters, and I need not say that, when the Societe d’Etudes furnishes its ^ report, we shall take
into full consideration any recommendations which you may lay before us. ’
[47191]
(Confidential.)
And in a further letter, addressed to Lord Revelstoke on the 25th March, 1912
the following passage occurs :—
“I am to add that, amongst the questions as to which His Majesty’s Government desire to
retain their freedom of action with regard to this railway, should be included that of the gauge to
be adopted.”
In September of this year, during his visit to this country, the Russian Minister
for Foreign Affairs communicated a memorandum to Lord Revelstoke, proposing the
early dispatch to Tehran of delegates representing the Socidtd d Etudes ; and on the
23rd October Lord Revelstoke explained, during an interview with bir L Lrey,
the Marquess of Crewe, and Sir Arthur Nicolson, the points at issue. O" ™ 6
28th October a record of these explanations was furnished to the Foreign Offace by
Lord Revelstoke, and it contains the following passages :
“The immediate question before the society was the obtaining of a conoe^ion from the
Persian Government granting permission, m general terms, to survey, and caiiyin B with it a
option to construct a line traversing Persian territory; the actual points to be included in the
aCment beTng left to future examination and decision after approval by the Governments
concerned This concession was to be asked for as a whole, but for the present it was proposed
to limit actual construction to the northern section between Ast»a and mran and to
for the eompanv optional rights covering the completion of the scheme. Ihese rights, so iai as
they pertained to territory within the Russian or British spheres of influence, would be retained
^^gent ^roposa/^a^^approach^reTers^airGoveniment with a view to obtaining
their slnctihi to thh hove by th/Sispatch at an T h
SocWte d’fitudes as a whole and the British Russian and
French group were prepared to nominate and dispatch a representative, and it was piesu
that the Russians contemplated similar action.”
“ Si r Edward Grey,” in the words of Lord Revelstoke, ‘‘ expressed willingness to
give his sanction in principle to delegates being sent to Persia for the purpose of
obtaining the concession as outlined above. , , o- t: pi „
Thus the substance to be asked for, to which the assent of Sir E. Grey was
carefully limited, was “ a concession from the Persian Governpn^granting permission,
[2700 2—1] . - | 29 NOV 1912
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