Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎158r] (315/442)

1991
Supply (Committee). 10 July 1912 Foreign Office. 1992
Russian sphere, and that the Russian line
shall not be permitted to come below that
point. If that is done a great deal of mis
apprehension in the minds of Russian gen
tlemen connected with the project would
be removed. To allow Russian railways to
be brought down to any port on the Per
sian Gulf would be to do what was referred
to by a great Statesman who said that the
Government or Minister who permitted the
acquisition of a port on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
by any European Power would be a traitor
to his country, or words to that effect. To
make it quite clear that it is only on the
terms of equality of treatment for our com
merce that we can enter into the matter at
all would remove apprehensions from the
minds of a great many people.
Mr. NOEL BUXTON : I wish to call
attention for a moment to the Turkish
question. Things have not been going so
■ well as most people expected four years
ago, and opinion is still divided as to
whether reform is to come from within or
without. If reform is to come from within
there is one obstacle to its progress. That
is the rivalry which still prevails between
the British and German embassies,
between the two groups or camps into
which Europe is divided. Let us realise
that that is a feature which has exercised
a very hampering influence on progress in
Turkey. But if reform is not to be accom
plished by Turkey from within, if it is to
■ come from without, how is it to be brought
about? Is it to be effected by the two
Powers, Austria and Russia? If we look
to them, how are they to effect any work
except preserve the status quo. Their co
operation is one which is weakened again
by the great human division which makes
them ineffective. If reform is to be im
posed from without from the small Powers
as some hope, there is again a disastrous
rivalry in my opinion which blocks the
way. There is only one small Power which
could cut the Balkan knot; that is Bul
garia. The late Lord Percy, whose
loss will be so long felt, used to
be a great admirer of Bulgaria, and
used to think that none of those
small Powers were of much account,
except those who had -waged a successful
war. Bulgaria is such a one, and is the
only one which could cut the knot, but how
can Bulgaria move while this division m
Europe persists ? Even if she makes up
the division with Greece and Servia she
cannot move because at her back is a
hostile Roumania. Roumania is hostile be
cause she has attached herself to Austria,
and we all know that Austria would not
move without Germany. Thus we come up
against an absolute impasse, so that the
action of the concert of European Powers
as a whole is paralysed at the heart.
There are one or two questions of some
importance as to which I hope the Foreign
Secretary will give us some information.
The Foreign Office is occupied in the main,
let us say, with politics, by which I mean
sti'ategical interests, and with trade in
terests, and the preservation of good in
ternational relations. The Foreign Office
is also occupied with the defence orpromo-
tion of the interests of nationalities. That
is one of its historic tasks, and it spends a
good deal of time and effort also on ques
tions which really are only questions of
humanity. There are two such subjects
which are urgent to-day, and which fre
quently have been the subject of questions
in the House and deputations from time
to time. One is a condition of the inden
tured labourers, or as some call them the
slaves, in the Portuguese island colonies
of South-West Africa. The question of the
Sp,n Thome labourers is one on which I
hope the right hon. Gentleman will give
us some reassuring news, because it is a
subject which is beginning to take its place
in what is called the Nonconformist con
science, though it is by no means confined
to Nonconformists, and its supporters in
clude the Archbishop of Canterbury. The
question of the San Thome labourers is one
which involves very great difficulty indeed
under an ancient treaty, but the growing
feeling that to maintain unimpaired and
without vigorous protest the extremely
friendly and mutual helpful relations which
have existed so long between this country
and Portugal is not very appropriate at
this moment to the very great uneasiness
which prevails among many in regard to
the certainly very reactionary and back
ward state of things maintained by the
Portuguese Government. They have diffi
culties which perhaps might be relieved
by some more vigorous signs of interest on
the part of their chief friends and allies.
If this country is so friendly with Portugal,
there is an opportunity for greasing the
wheels.
Perhaps the solution which will ulti
mately be most popular is the purchase
of the Portuguese colonies in South-West
Africa by some greater Power. If we are
friendly with such greater Power, we have
then the means to accelerate the pace and
to oil the wheels. Let us hope that our re
lations with all the other Powers will be