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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' [‎335r] (680/1068)

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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MR. WILLIAMS said
tnat he had derived the
impression from a
recent discussion at the Colonial Office with the Iragi Mniste:
of finance that the development of road communications to Haifa
through 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 , was what the Iraqi Government were con
templating as an immediate step which would afford some
indication of the extent to o ■n^Mxrr^r ~ ^
uu vnicn a railway on the same route
might prove remunerative.
dIR RRAI " CIS KUMPHRY3 sald ‘fchat certain members of the Iraqi
Government were in favour of developing road communication with
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 . Tnere was, however, a strong movement in favour of
a railway as well. Incidentally, the Iraqi Government were now,
ne understood, in favour of a standard, as distinct from a metre,
gauge, being adopted.
On the other hand 5 he did not think that there was any
probability of the Iraqi Government coming to a definite decision
rc oard to the financing of the -i-raqi sector of the railway for a
considerable time. Apart from the question of the technical
Uucertainties which still existed in connection with the estimate
for the railway, alignment, gauge, etc., the question was bound up*
iriuOfar as the Iraqi Government were concerned, with the question
°f the future of the -^raqi railways as a while, and of the proposed
Railways Corporation Law to be passed to give effect to the
Provisions of section 4 of the Financial Agreement attached to the
Angio-iraqi Treaty of 1930 (Cmd. 3797).
rhe Iraqi Government were convinced that the proposed Iraq
Railways Corporation would be a failure, and that the whole question
q£ j i
1 ne railways would have to be dealt with on a new basis. Until
recently, they had been evading their treaty obligations, but he
arderstood there was now a good prospect that the Iraq Railways
operation Law, a draft of which was under discussion between the
Ministers and the Foreign Office, would be passed next
' 0v erauer # This would mean that the Iraq Railways Corporation would
be gp +
in some months, however, it might well be found that the

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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' [‎335r] (680/1068), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2851, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076591290.0x000051> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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