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'Minutes memos despatches etc' [‎4r] (7/156)

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The record is made up of 1 file (76 folios). It was created in 17 Aug 1916-1 Mar 1922. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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[ 988 ]
LOKD QUEZON.
{Tina Document ig the Ppopci'ty of His Bniapnic Majesty's Gov^mrnept.]
Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence. August 1916.
SECRET.
HID
24
THE TRANS-PERSIAN RAILWAY.
(Previous C.I.D. Papers 21-D, 30-D, 32-D, 107-D, 103-D, 109-D, and 110-D.)
Note by Lord Curzon.
IN view of the Note circulated by the Secretary of the Imperial Defence
Committee (17th August, 1916) on the Nushki-Seistan Railway, in which he argues
that the assent in principle of the British Government to the construction of a Trans-
Persian Railway, subject to certain conditions, has already been given, I should like to
place upon record the following considerations, which lead me to think that, on the
evidence of important members of the Government that is said to have come to this
decision, and also of later events, we are in nowise committed to any such scheme.
The passages upon which Sir M. Hankey relies are two in number:—
1. The statement made by Sir E. Grey in the House of Commons on the 10th duly,
1912, that “ we ought not on principle to oppose the idea of a Trans-
Persian Railway”; and that “we have no objection to going into the
question of the Trans-Persian Railway, and looking at it from a financial
and economic point of view.”
2. The letter from the Foreign Office to Sir W. Garstin (representing the British
element in the Societe d’Etudes) of the 4th February, 1913, which contained
• the following passage :—
“ His Majesty’s Government have already expressed themselves
prepared to assent in principle to the project of a Trans-Persian Railways ;
that assent is made subject to the following among other conditions :—”
[The conditions are then specified.]
I desire to point out that subsequent to each of the above pronouncements by
Sir E. Grey very definite statements were made in the House of Lords by Lord Morley
and Lord Crewe, speaking on behalf of the Government, which considerably modify
the impression that might be derived from the above passages, if taken by themselves.
On the 15th July, 1912, I raised a debate on the matter in the House of Lords,
and argued strongly against what I have always regarded, and still regard, as a most
unfortunate and undesirable proposal. In the course of his reply Lord Morley,
speaking on behalf of the Foreign Office five days subsequent to Sir E. Grey’s speech,
made the following remarks :—
1. That the Russians were the promoters of the scheme.
2. That no support or encouragement had been given to it by His Majesty’s
Government.
3. That His Majesty’s Government would be able to deal with perfect freedom
with the report of the Societe d’Etudes, whenever received.
4. That the Government were committed to nothing but examination.
5. That the scheme, before acceptance, would be submitted to both Houses of
Parliament.
In the same debate Lord Crewe, then Secretary of State for India, said that it was
not in any sense a live project, and that His Majesty’s Government had not been
committed", not merely to any participation in the proposed line, but to any definite
approval of it.
* As has been shown, this was not the actual language employed.

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Content

This file concerns British policy regarding Persia (and, to a lesser extent, British interests in Mesopotamia). It is largely composed of printed memoranda by George Curzon and other senior British politicians. Also included is a significant amount of related letters and despatches, as well as printed transcripts of speeches delivered by Curzon. Of particular note are the following:

  • Memorandum by Curzon entitled 'Nushki-Seistan Railway', dated 17 August 1916
  • Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee, comprised of correspondence and memoranda, dated September 1918-November 1918 (ff 5-6 and ff 10-19)
  • War Cabinet report entitled 'Railway Policy in Relation to General Military Policy in the Middle East.', dated December 1918 (ff 21-26)
  • Memorandum entitled 'Memorandum Regarding the Policy of His Majesty's Government Towards Persia at the Peace Conference.', dated December 1918 (ff 31-42)
  • Letter to Curzon from the Secretary of State for India, Edwin Samuel Montagu (ff 43-49)
  • Transcript of a speech on Persia, delivered by Curzon at a banquet given in honour of His Highness Prince Firouz Mirza Nosret-ed-Dowleh, at the Carlton Hotel, 18 September 1919 (ff 56-58)
  • Printed letters from Curzon, writing as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to Percy Zachariah Cox, British representative in Persia, dated October 1919-April 1920 (ff 60-66)
  • Transcripts of two speeches given by Curzon as Foreign Secretary, in the House of Lords, regarding the British Government's Persian policy, dated 16 November 1920 and 26 July 1921 respectively (ff 68-71 and ff 72-73).

Appended to the aforementioned War Cabinet report is a map of railway gauges across the Middle East region (f 25).

Extent and format
1 file (76 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 78, these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Minutes memos despatches etc' [‎4r] (7/156), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/253, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100069909504.0x000008> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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