Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎201r] (401/442)

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The Trans-Persian Railway. [ 15 Jm/
y 1012 ] The Trans-Persian Railway. 484
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munications. Every one admits that, j
But what the noble Earl and others who j
share my view object to is the extension
of any railway communication to a line
east of Bandar Abbas to the Indian
frontier. The country that wants bringing
into order is essentially Laristan and the
adjacent districts on the western side of
Persia. That is the country where railways
are most earnestly desired, and railways,
too, by which we could co-operate heartily
with Russia if the Persian Government
thinks fit—a system which would be
really to the commercial and political
benefit of Persia. This line, if it ever
became realised, would in my view only
create mistrust between ourselves and
Russia. It would not be to the improve
ment of our relations, and I think on that
score alone it is sufficient to inquire whether
it ought to go any further.
There is another point. If you have a
line inter-connected by this railway you
will not increase that confidence that is so
very necessary for our good and firm
government of India ; you will at once
render India more liable to scares. I asked
two prominent Indians who were over here
lately what they thought of this scheme.
One said that he did not know very much
about it, but that it certainly should not
be done until we have compulsory service
in England. The other said that it might
be a nice thing for India because then the
Indians would be able to go into Persia and
establish themselves there. That gentle
man spoke with a great lack of knowledge
of the conditions that prevail in Persia if he
thinks that Indian labour, which is so
scarce at the present time, will find any
pleasant outlet into Persia, that dry and
arid country where in most places they
do not find enough water to perform their
daily ablutions. There is, to my mind,
no advantage to be gained by this line,
and, on the other hand, there is every
possible risk. It could be said in favour
of the Channel Tunnel—it was admitted
by the Committee—that it would lead to
a great improvement in commerce and to
a much greater passenger traffic; but
neither of those conditions would prevail
were this line built. I therefore hope
that the Government will not be too
benevolently disposed towards the inquiry
that is being held, and I think they will
only put themselves into a much weaker
position if they have to reject the proposal
hereafter. There are plenty of other lines
that can be constructed in Persia with the
greatest advantage to that country and
that can be reasonably undertaken on a
friendly basis between ourselves and Russia.
Those could be made without violating any
portion of those great natural defences
with which Providence has favoured India.
*Lord INCHCAPE : My Lords, I asso
ciate myself with what has fallen from
the noble Earl, and I would venture to
ask your Lordships to consider for a moment
the financial and practical side of this
proposed railway through Persia. The
British section, or it may be the Indian
section, will start from Karachi and run
through 920 miles of unpopulated, un
fertile, and waterless country, and, as Lord
Lamington said, those who promote the
line admit that it must be close to the shore
through the Makran district in order that
it may be shelled by our ships in the event
of its being used in a hostile manner against
India. The traffic that the line would
create would probably be about sufficient
to fill a single truck in a fortnightly train.
I submit that the Government of India
have quite enough on their hands for
many years to come in developing their
own railway system.
With your Lordships’ permission I desire
to dwell for a moment on the position of
Indian railways. Some five or six years
ago I was appointed by the noble Viscount
who was then Secretary of State for India
to be Chairman of a Committee to inquire
into and report upon the development of
the Indian railway system. One member
of that Committee was the Financial
Secretary at the 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. , Mr. Lionel
Abrahams. Another member was an ex-
Financial Member of the Council of the
Governor-General of India, Sir David
Barbour, a gentleman who was closely
associated with Lord Lansdowne. when
Viceroy of India, in his great work of
putting the currency of the country on a
stable basis. Another member was Sir Felix
Schuster, an eminent financial authority in
the City of London. The unanimous con
clusion of that Committee was that India-
should spend not less than£12,500,000 upon
the development of her railway system, and
that the expenditure of that sum would
be a profitable proposition. A further
recommendation was that the money in
the first place should be devoted to the
equipment of the lines then opened, which
were lamentably short of rolling-stock.
Since that time there has been devoted to