File 2764/1904 Pt 1 'Baghdad Railway: general negotiations 1904-07.' [‎329r] (666/818)

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No 709, dated Baghdad, the 4th September 1905 (Confidential).
From— Major L. S. Newmarch, 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 Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. and His
Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, Baghdad,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department, Simla.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your endorsement No.
3123 E.-B., dated 15th August 1905, forwarding a memorandum (by the Board
of Trade) on the Baghdad Railway.
2. This seems to me such an interesting and valuable document that I
venture to submit the accompanying remarks regarding portions of it, in the
hope that they may be of some slight assistance to the compiler of the
memorandum.
THE BAGHDAD RAILWAY.
Notes on the Board of Trade's Memorandum, dated 23rd June 1905.
Paragraph 27 of that memorandum. —River-borne traffic will always he
cheaper than rail-borne traffic, and it seems doubtful whether the railway will
ever be able to compete with the river.
The Turks, i.e., the Saniya administration, do contemplate extending the \
river service in the near future as far north as Mosul, and I have been in
formed, by the working manager of the local Saniya administration, as also by
the chief of the staff of the Vlth Army Corps, that it is intended to spend
£ 75,000 T. on the improvement of the river between Baghdad and Mosul. I
have seen this portion of the river at its best and at its worst, in the month
of April when the water is at its highest, and also in the season of low water,
and I am of opinion that, even with a much larger expenditure than £ 75,000 T.
this portion of the river will not be navigable for more than four or five months
in the year, and then only for vessels of a draught not exceeding SO" to 36".
During the remainder of the year, the vessels employed on this service will be
unable to ply above Tikrit and perhaps not higher up than Samarra.
The downward journey will always be quite easy for rafts, which are
now largely employed, but the rafts cannot get back again and are sold at
the end of the downward journey for the value of the wood of which they
are composed. The skins on which they float are sometimes returned on
mule-back.
Paragraph 28 of the memorandum. —The high rates hitherto prevailing
have been largely due to the fact that the Euphrates & Tigris Steam
Navigation Company have had a virtual monopoly of the carrying trade. The
recent introduction of two new steamers on the river by the Saniya adminis
tration has had the effect of reducing freights slightly, and for the public good
it is to be hoped that this reduction may continue, for during many years past
the Euphrates & Tigris Steam Navigation Company have realised profits of
20 % and over, owing to their virtual monopoly of the carrying trade.
If the Euphrates & Tigris Steam Navigation Company were to take
over the Saniya steamers, this would create a worse monopoly than before.
Competition indeed appears to be essential for the good of the public.
Paragraph 36. —The current is not the only difficulty, nor indeed the
greatest difficulty, in navigating the Tigris between Baghdad and Mosul.
Steamers could easily be constructed strong enough to stem the current and
even to tow barges against it. The great difficulty for at least half the year
would be the shallowness of the water.
THE BAGHD AD-KHAN AKIN BRANCH.
Paragraph 37. —I too have travelled over not merely the road between
Baghdad and Khanakin, but the surrounding country, and I do not
quite agree with the opinion expressed in this paragraph. I think the pilgrim
traffic cn this line alone would almost make it pay, especially if it were