'Military Report on (S.-W.) Persia, Volume V. Luristan' [‎28r] (60/152)

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^ to force the British commercial position back to dahe Gulf littoral,
thereby closing the trade of the Gulf to us, as has been done at Batoum
and on the Caspian. German influence was likely? moreover, to be
a formidable obstacle to British shipping. When the Baghdad rail
way had been completed the railway Company could, he said, claim to
put an unlimited number of steamers on the Tigris, which would
prove the death blow to the position which we have held for so many
years. Sir George Mackenzie's sudden death put an end, for the
time being, to such representations from those immediately concern
ed in our Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. trade. The question was, however, pursued
later on by Sir T. E. Gordon; and Mr. H. F. B. Lynch publicly de
clared himself in favour of a line running north from Ahwaz, his
idea being, apparently, not to give the line access to the Shatt-al-
'Arab, in order not to prejudice his steamer traffic on the Karun. In
February 1911, Mr. C. Greenway, of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company,
made it known that he was desirous of obtaining a concession for a
railway running northwards from Burujird. In March 1911 Lieute
nant Wilson was sent, as the outcome of a proposal made in October
1910, to Luristan, to investigate the practical aspects of the railway
question. In April 1911 His Majesty's Government with the cog
nizance of the Russian Government, put forward a request to the
Persian Government for an option to construct a railway from Khor
Musa via Ahwaz and Shushtar to Khurramabad. A temporizing,
but not entirely unsatisfactory reply was received.
Military considerations.
This completes our brief survey of the aspects of the communi-
cations of Luristan, which directly affect the British Government.
It remains to offer a few remarks on the general question of roads
in the province, from a military point of view.
The route reports which form part of this volume give full
details in regard to all routes of importance. Broadly speaking it
may be said that west of the Kashgln and between Khurramlbad
and Burujird, the roads are already passable for artillery or could
be made so with very little difficulty. This portion of Luristan is
far less hilly than other parts of the Zagros range : the hills are 'ess
steep, and less lofty, the valleys filled by broad p'ains extending for
many miles in a N. W. direction, and along these valleys the
main tracks run. Successive ridges are pierced by easy passes, and
the whole country offers no very serious problem to the road engineer,
and is not unsuited on the whole for railway construction. Well
watered, generally well-wooded, and with good grazing almost all
the year round, Luristan offers not unfavourable conditions foi
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