File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎79r] (162/258)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.!
[A1
^ PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
.'>*■ \
I \
[November 19.]
Section 4 .
[49434]
No. 1 .
Memorandum by Mr. dc Bernhardt on Railway Construction in South Persia.
1 . Have we at any time told Mr. Greenway that we would give him preferential
treatment in any application he or his friends may make for concessions for
railways in the neutral and British spheres in Persia, other than the
Mohammerah-Khoremabad line? Sir L. Mallet would like to see the precise
wording of any undertakings we may have given.
2 . We originally, in October 1908, specified to the Russian Government the lines in
South Persia in which His Majesty’s Government were specially interested.
How often have we repeated this information to Russia, and on what dates
between October 1908 and October 1912?
1 . In the spring of 1911 His Majesty’s Government decided that it was of importance
to British interests to secure preferential rights in regard to certain railway concessions
in South Persia, and, after consultation with His Majesty’s Minister, it was settled that
the application would be more palatable to the Persian Government if made through a
commercial syndicate rather than by His Majesty’s Government themselves.
1 can find no direct request to Mr. Greenway or anyone else to undertake this
matter, but there are allusions in the minutes on the secret papers of 1911 to interviews
between that gentleman and Sir L. Mallet, and between Colonel Picot and Mr. Maxwell,
touching upon the formation of a syndicate for this purpose.
On the 15th July, 1911, Mr. Green way informed this Office that a syndicate would
be formed, and would be prepared to enter into contracts for, and undertake construction
of, the following railways in Persia :—
To Sir G.
Barclay,
No. 52, Tel.,
Feb. 14, ’ll
[5647].
To Sir G.
Barclay,
No. 75, Tel.,
Mar. 6, ’ll
[8296].
Mr.
Green way,
July 15, ’ll
[28215].
( 1 .) From Mohammerah and (or) Khor Musa to Khoremabad or Burujird;
( 2 .) From Bunder Abbas to Kerman ;
(3.) From Bunder Abbas to Shiraz ;
(4.) From Bunder Abbas to Mohammerah ;
and, he added, that the end in view was the eventual extension of some of these lines
up to or within the Russian sphere.
It was pointed out to Mr. Green way, in reply, that as the proposed extensions of To Mr.
these lines would end at points touching, or within, the border of the Russian sphere Greenway,
of influence in Persia, Sir E. Grey presumed that, in view of article 1 of the Anglo-
Russian arrangement of the 31st August, 1907, the syndicate would not ask for the L
support of His Majesty’s Government in regard to such extensions.
From this answer, on the principle expressum facit cessare taciturn, it no doubt was
inferred by Mr. Greenway that His Majesty’s Government would support him in obtaining
the concessions enumerated, except in so far as concerned extensions up to or within
the Russian sphere. While, therefore, we had not up to the end of 1911 specifically
told Mr. Greenway that we would give him preferential treatment (except as regards
the Mohammerah—Khoremabad line), the upshot of the above communications seems to
be that His Majesty’s Government are bound to him in fact, if not in express terms.
This conclusion seems to be borne out by the following correspondence which took
place in 1912 :—
On the 15th January the Persian Railways Syndicate enquired whether His
Majesty’s Government had given any assurance of support to any syndicate or persons gy n di ca t e ,
in connection with railway construction in Persia, and they were informed, in reply : Jan. 15, ’12
J _ [2412].
(1.) That His Majesty’s Government had been approached in December 1911 by To Persian
certain French financiers who, in concert with British houses of standing and with Kailuajs
Russian financial houses, were interested in the construction of a Trans-Persian 3 ^
Railway, and had been asked their views in regard to such a project; and that His £ 1304 ].
[2700 *— 4 ]