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Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [‎78v] (167/1068)

The record is made up of 1 volume (524 folios). It was created in 23 Apr 1929-23 Apr 1936. It was written in English and French. 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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be expected to assist the development of the trade of Palestine and possihlv
increase the safety of Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan by forming a useful barrier anainst invii.
from Northern Arabia. Mr. Rendel then asked the various Departm^o
represented at the meeting to state their present views on this question MS
3. WING-COMMANDER PIRIE stated that the Air Ministry still felt
that the railway would be useful from their point of view, but were not prepared
to maintain that it was essential. A good motor road would, in fact, satisfy their
requirements, although, if a railway were built and its rates were not too high
the Royal Air Force would certainly be glad to make use of it.
4. COLONEL MACKESY stated that the War Office were inclined to
adhere to the point of view expressed in the memorandum which they had
circulated to the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1933. They considered the
railway strategically important not only from the point of view of the defence
of Iraq, but also in the light of wider Imperial interests. He hesitated to say
that the construction of the railway was essential, but the War Office considered
the necessity for it to be greater than the Air Ministry did.
5. COLONEL TYRRELL suggested that, even from the Royal Air Force
point of view, the railway might be of some advantage, if the Royal Air Force
became involved in major operations in the Middle East which necessitated the
support ot the Army. But it was pointed out that this was really a War Office
consideration.
6. ^ Mr. BRIDGES enquired whether, when a road was spoken of as a
possible alternative to the railway, the construction of a new first-class road was
meant or merely the improvement of the present track.
7. Mr. RENDEL suggested that it might, in fact, need little labour to
improve the present track to such an extent that armoured cars and lorries would
be able to pass freely along it. The track could always be progressively improved
until it became a first-class arterial road. But he understood that it would be
a comparatively simple matter to render it an adequate means of communication.
8. Mr. WILLIAMS stated that he had had some conversation on this
subject recently with the High Commissioner for Palestine and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan , who
was on leave in England. Sir A. Wauchope had shown no especial enthusiasm
for the railway, more particularly if there were to be any question of Palestine
funds being required to contribute to its construction. The Palestine and Trans
jordan authorities were, in fact, already trying to improve a part of the present
track which connected with the desert route; they were also exploring the possi
bility of surfacing and maintaining for heavy traffic the road built by the Iraq
Petroleum Company through the lava belt, but there were considerable difficulties
as to finance.
9. Mr. RLNDEL observed that the construction of a road had this
advantage over the construction of a railway, that, whereas a railway must be
constructed and financed as a whole, a road could be built and developed gradually
and bit by bit, as necessity or financial considerations determined.
10. Mr. WILLIAAIS agreed that a road would in all probability serve the
purpose of the Palestine and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan Governments. Further, it was not
at all clear where the traffic for the proposed railway was to come from.
M r - RENDEL recalled the arguments which in the past had been
adduced m favour of the construction of the railway. One of the main reasons
originally urged had been that it would be an inducement to the Iraq Petroleum
Company to direct their pipe-line to Haifa rather than through Syria. The
constiuction of the branch pipe-line to Haifa had since removed that argument.
Cei tain economic arguments had also been advanced, more particularly that the
constiuction of a railway from Baghdad to Haifa would provide a western outlet
for the trade of Baghdad. This was no doubt true up to a point and it was
important that as he believed—Sir F. Humphrys attached importance to this
argument. But, speaking quite personally, he confessed that the economic
arguments did not seem to him convincing. It was not to be expected that the
railway would be a paying commercial proposition for many years; in fact, the
danger of its never becoming a paying concern at all must be regarded as
considerable. If the future of the proposed railway were to be judged from the

About this item

Content

The volume contains correspondence, reports and minutes regarding road and rail transport through Iraq, Trans-Jordan [Jordan], Palestine, Syria and Iran. The following topics are discussed in detail:

  • The proposed construction of a Baghdad-Haifa rail route. The file also includes records regarding the planned transfer of the Iraqi Government Railway from British to Iraqi control.
  • Transport developments and trade routes in Syria, and economic competition between French- and British- mandated territories in the region.
  • Proposals for the development of free zones at the port in Haifa, for Iraqi and Persian [Iranian] goods. This includes discussion of customs dues, and facilities to be offered to foreign governments.
  • Proposals by Haim Effendi Nathaniel, the Iraqi Railways Canvassing Agent, for facilities to assist in the development of a trans-desert motor route between Iraq and Palestine, and the right to carry Iraqi mails via the Amman ['Ammān] route.
  • Customs and Trade Agreements between French-mandated territories and Iran.

The principal authors and correspondents are: HM High Commissioner for Palestine; HM High Commissioner for Iraq; the Foreign Office Eastern Department; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; HM Minister at Tehran; and the Committee of Imperial Defence, Standing Ministerial and Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. The volume also contains a small number of communications received from the Government of Iraq.

The volume contains the following items of note:

  • Minutes of a meeting between the Iraqi Treasurer and Haim Effendi Nathaniel, regarding the Baghdad-Haifa Desert Motor Route, held on the 18 January 1933, ff 425-428.
  • Records of a meeting between the Treasurer, the Iraqi Delegation, and the Director of Customs at Palestine, regarding the proposed free zone facilities at Haifa for Iraqi goods, and the establishment of terminal facilities and a preferential tariff, ff 371-392.
  • Draft minutes of a meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence, Standing Ministerial and Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, held Monday 17 July 1933, regarding: 1) the proposed pipeline from the British Oil Development Company's concession near Mosul to the Mediterranean, and 2) the Trans-Desert Railway from Baghdad to Haifa. Plus related despatches received from Baghdad, Aleppo and Beirut, notes on the strategic value of the Baghdad-Haifa railway by the Secretaries of State for Air and War, ff 326-357.
  • Communication from the High Commissioner for Iraq (Francis Henry Humphrys) to the Foreign Secretary (John Simon), summarising the development of road and rail transport routes between Iraq, Syria and Palestine from 1925-1934, ff 247-249.
  • English translation of the Decree of the French High Commissioner in Syria, 'Governing the Regime of Customs Exemptions granted to Transdesert Transport Concerns maintaining regular services of the transport of international transport goods', ff 222-236.
  • Minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence, Standing Ministerial and Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, held 11 and 23 October 1934, regarding the proposed Baghdad-Haifa route, ff 139-177, 90-107, and 70-89.
  • Memorandum on the Baghdad-Damascus desert route, prepared by the Commercial Secretary to the Baghdad Embassy, 1935, ff 5-10.

The volume also contains a proposal by the Palestine Corporation Limited to construct a highway connecting Palestine and Iraq, found at folios 14-30. This proposal is discussed in depth in the second part of the file, IOR/L/PS/12/2852.

The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).

Extent and format
1 volume (524 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 526; these numbers are written in pencil, 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. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the two leading and ending flyleaves. A previous foliation sequence has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [‎78v] (167/1068), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2851, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076591287.0x0000a8> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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