'File VII/1. Telegraphic Connection to Kuwait.' [‎261r] (551/574)

9
Receipts for international traffic originating or terminating in Persia are shared
between Persia and the Department, Persia receiving the larger share, while
for international messages passing through Persia a fixed royalty is paid to
the Persian Government. For a comparatively small initial outlay, therefore^
Persia is in possession of an efficient telegraph line just over 700 miles in
length, maintained entirely free of expense to her and from which she derives
all the revenue accruing from local traffic and a very considerable share of the
revenue from international traffic. On the other hand India has, so long as
the convention lasts, control of an essential link in the Indo route from England
to India.
I he (iwadur-Jask line which runs through Persian territory was erected under
a convention concluded in 1868 permitting the British Government to erect
and work the line at their own expense in return for an annual payment of
1 omans 3,000, equal to-day to about £600. This convention will also expire
on January 1st, 1945.
1 elegraphic communication between the British Minister at Teheran and the
Consul General at Mashad is afforded by the Persian line between those two
places, but it proved so inefficient that in 1885 by agreement with the Shah
the maintenance of the line was undertaken by the Department. India agreed
to contribute Rs. 20,000 a year towards the cost of maintenance, but this sum,
together with such sums as Persia contributed, was quite inadequate to do^
more than patch up the line, which w’as in a deplorable condition. In 1892
special grants were made by Persia and India and the late Mr. King-Wood was
deputed to put the line in order, since which time it has proved efficient. The
cost of maintenance is shared between Persian and Indian revenues. The
line is worked by the Persians but the Department has the use of it for a short
time daily for the transmission of state telegrams. The line from Mashad south
to Seistan was before the war under the control of Russia.
1 owards the end of the century the increase of traffic pointed to the need of
an alternative line between Teheran and Karachi, and after considerable
negotiation a convention was signed with Persia in 1901 for the construction of
a three wire line from Teheran through Yazd and Kerman to the Perso-Baluch
frontier at Hurmak, to meet there a line constructed by the Indian Telegraph
Department from Quetta. The line, which was constructed by the late Mr.
King-Wood, was completed in 1907, and, a branch line from Nok Kundi on
the Hurmak-Quetta line having also been completed to Karachi the same year,
the desired alternative route became available for traffic.
By the terms of the convention this Central Persia line was constructed by
the Department, the Government of India treating the cost as an advance to
Persia. One wire is made over to Persia for local traffic and the other two are
worked by the Department, mainly for international traffic. As in the case
of the Teheran-Bushire line Persia receives all the receipts accruing from local
traffic and a major share of the terminal rate on international traffic originating