'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎491] (550/714)

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INSTITUTIONS AND EEFORMS
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ports, with the removal of arbitrary restrictions upon commerce,
and with the assurance of security to life and property upon the
caravan routes. Later on he hopes for the gradual introduction of
railways, commencing experimentally in the regions most likely to
give a mercantile return, and extending by slow degrees through
out the country. The more impetuous nature would like to carry
Persia by storm, to throw down her walls by trumpet-blast, and
to open her doorways to the world by a network of railways,
connecting with those of India, Turkey, and Russia, and trans
porting her at a bound into the van of civilised nations. A mean
may very practically be discovered between the two ideas. The
Persian Government may reasonably be pressed, or, if it be found
unwilling, foreign capital may be enlisted, to undertake the proper
opening up of the natural channels of communication. Did the
Shah's Government show the least genuine earnestness in the
matter, there is quite sufficient money in the country, without
appealing to Europe for a sixpence, to initiate and to carry through
these by no means costly undertakings. Persians possessed of
means would be willing enough to invest in their own country, did
they not feel that it was like throwing money down a kancd. The
absence, however, of any State guarantee, and the general insecurity
of property, prevent, and will probably continue to prevent, any
such employment of native capital on a large scale. Until a better
regime is inaugurated in the country, the necessity of foreign
assistance will continue to be felt.
It is noteworthy that Messrs. Andreas and Stolze, after their
seven years' official or semi-official experience of Persia, concluded
Messrs. their resume of the industrial condition of that country
aiuf stoize ky ^ ie strongest possible recommendation of such road
works as I have indicated or described. They said :—
The caravan tracks are designed only for beasts of burden, and are
only passable by them with difficulty. Yet there is no doubt that it
would be possible to discover roads upon which, with comparatively
little improvement, large two-wheeled carts might pass from the coast
to the mountain terraces and to the plateau proper. It would be of
great advantage to have the goods remaining in the cart until they
reach their destination, in place of the reckless daily unlading of
the mules. In the second place, bales of over 75 kilos, have now
to be transported on litters, and accordingly pay double carriage,
while packages of more than 250 kilos, have to be hauled along by