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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' [195r] (400/1068)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
P. Z. ’
EASTERN (General). ;
5331
July 23, 1934.
CONFIDENTIAL. '
. 1934
Section 2.
[E 4791/6/65]
No. 1.
Mr. Ogilvie-Forbes to Sir John Simon,—(Received Jidy 23.) o
(No. 377.) ' - ‘ W* '
Sir, Bagdad, July 7, 1934.
WITH reference to Sir Francis Flumphrys’s despatch No. 237*''of the
30th April, enclosing copy of a despatch addressed to the High Commissioner for
Palestine on the subject of the development of the direct Bagdad-Haifa route, I
have the honour to report that Haim Nathaniel has now obtained delivery at
Haifa, free of customs dues, of the Albion motor-bus destined for service on the
trans-desert route. The service will be inaugurated on Monday, the 9th July,
from Bagdad, and thereafter the bus will leave Haifa every Thursday, as soon
as possible after arrival of the train from Egypt, returning to Haifa from Bagdad
every Monday at 6 a.m.
2. The fares quoted are very reasonable—6 dinars for a Pullman seat, and
5 dinars for the ordinary accommodation. The Nairn Transport Company quote
8-500 dinars and 6-500 dinars for similar accommodation for the journey to
Haifa via Damascus, while other transport companies charge as little as 3 dinars,
the service provided being, however, very inferior. But none of these charges can
be said to be fixed, since the companies concerned habitually reduce their fares
whenever a lack of demand makes itself felt.
3. Although a start has thus been made in the development of direct
passenger communication between Palestine and Iraq, there are several factois
still present which are calculated to impede further progress. One of these is
the insistence of the authorities in Transjordania on payment of a passport
registration fee ” of 250 mills (5s.) by every person entering the country. ISo sue
charge is levied in either Syria or Palestine, and passengers by the Bagdad-Haila
route are thus penalised to that extent. I am awaiting further information
concerning the exact requirements of the
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
Passport L^iw, about wnic
there appears to be some doubt, before drawing the attention of the Hig om
missioner for Palestine to this obstacle to free development of passenger trathc.
Another deterrent to prospective travellers by the Bagdad—Haifa rou e, on eu
way to Europe and elsewhere, is to be found in the extremely stringent regu a ions
on the subject of visas for Palestine, which have recently been brought into force.
The attention of the Director of Immigration, Jerusalem, was drawn by Mis
Majesty’s consul at Bagdad to this consequence of the regulations m paragrap
of his despatch of the 11th June, a copy of which was sent to you m is espa c
No. 48 of the 11th June. . ^ ^
4. Although Haim Nathaniel has now been permitted to clear his motor-
coach from customs at Haifa without payment of duty, the customs ^ ^
at that port have presented a claim for payment of over £81 for demurrage
charges. Representations have been made to the Palestine Governmen on
Nathaniel’s behalf by the British commercial agent at Haifa. The result of these
is not yet known here. _ , . , .
5 The concession made to Haim Nathaniel, m common with future
operators of regular services by the direct Haifa-Bagdad route, of exemptio
from duty on petrol purchased for use on the trans-deser journey, Jq, n
extent nullified by the imposition of a municipal tax, m ^ ran y^ or , an ^’ t i ie
per gallon, plus an ££ inspection fee ” of one-half of 1 per cent,
petrol brought into the country in the tanks of motor vehic e iV . . -.Pp . •
on this point were made by Sir Erancis Humphrys to e 11 18 , p
Trans jordania, who expressed the opinion that no case cou T. xiothaniel
exempting Haim Nathaniel (and others) from these charges, since ^ ,
would in future purchase all his supplies of petrol duty-free derived
that
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
would be deprived m consequence of the revenue hi the
from customs duty on petrol purchased in the country^ Before a pproachmg the
British Resident again in the matter, I have thought it best, m Mew of the
[156 z—2]
VOs
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 View the complete information for this record
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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' [195r] (400/1068), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2851, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076591289.0x000001> [accessed 25 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2851
- Title
- Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:ii-v, 1r:13v, 31r:37v, 40r:212r, 214r:221v, 242r:264v, 266r:312v, 316r:346r, 349r:404r, 407r:411v, 417r:446v, 449r:465v, 468r:471v, 474r:474v, 478r:485v, 488r:502v, 504r:526v, iii-r:iv-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence