File 4030/1913 Pt 1 'Baghdad Railway: Negotiations; Navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates' [‎153r] (109/280)

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[TO8_Datinment is the Property of ffi s Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
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ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
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[October 10.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 2.
[46116]
No. 1.
Board of Trade to Foreign Office.—{Received October 10.)
(Confidential.)
Sir ’ t wt a; -p) n , Board of Trade, October 9, 1913.
7, A'i f f ecte , d the Board of Irade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
tie 4th October transmitting copy of correspondence relative to the navigation of the
Euphrates and Tigris Livers, and to offer the following observations thereon:
The Board concur in what they understand to he Sir E. Grey’s opinion, that it
would be madvisab e to communicate to Mr. Lynch the full terms of Lord Inchcape’s
concession until it has been finally signed on behalf of the Ottoman Government At
the same time they recognise that Mr. Lynch cannot be expected to discuss arrange
ments tor the formation of a company for the management of the Euphrates and Tigris
Company and Lord Inchcape s undertaking unless he is fully acquainted with the condi
tions under which the latter undertaking is to be carried on. * In these circumstances, the
Board can only suggest, for Sir E. Grey’s consideration, that every effort should be
made to secure the signature of the concession at the earliest possible date.
As regaids the first of the three points to which special reference is made in your
lettei under reply, I am to state that the Board are in some doubt as to the meaning
ot the phrase “upkeep of the waterways ’ used in Mr. Lynch’s letter of the
22nd September to Mr. Slaughter. If it refers solely to measures for the conservancy
of the river above Basra, sufficient provision in this respect would appear to be made
by articles 1 (c) and 10 of the draft concession; if, however, it refers to the
maintenance of a navigable waterway, unaffected by future irrigation works (a question
which played an important part in previous negotiations for a combination of the river
services), the Board are not aware of any safeguard other than the financial interest
whLh the Ottoman Government will have in the new navigation company.
. The question of facilities on the railways beyond Bagdad for water-borne traffic is,
m the opinion of the Board, sufficiently dealt with by articles 1 and 2 of the Anglo-
Turkish Convention regarding railways in Asiatic Turkey and clause (6) of article 2 of
the draft Anglo-German Agreement, Those provisions are in wide terms, and would
appeal to furnish adequate ground for intervention in the event of any discrimination
against water-borne traffic, such as Mr. Lynch appears to contemplate.
Finally, as regards the carriage of downward freight by the vessels of the Socidte
de Transports fluviaux, the Board have nothing to add to their letter of the
2nd September, and they concur in the course which, as indicated in your letter under
reply, Sir E. Grey proposes to take in this matter. At the same time, I am to point
out that the fact that it is thought undesirable to give a definite answer on the point
is a further reason why His Majesty’s Government should press for the signature of the
the concession at an early date.
I am, &c.
GEO. J. STANLEY.
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