![Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [‎354r] (718/1068)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x000189/IOR_L_PS_12_2851_0718.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [‎354r] (718/1068)")
Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [354r] (718/1068)
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.
Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence. March 1933
SECRET.
1105-8.
Copy No.
COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.
THE STRATEGIC ASPECT OF THE TRANS-DESERT RAILWAY
FROM BAGHDAD TO HAIFA.
Note by the Secretary of State for Air.
I FORWARD, for the information of the Committee of Imperial Defence,
a Memoiandum on the strategic aspect of the projected trans-desert railway from
Baghdad to Haifa which has been prepared by the Air Staff.
Air Ministry March 8, 1933.
During the discussions with Sir Francis Humphrys which took place last
autumn, it was arranged at his request that the Committee of Imperial Defence
should be asked to express their view as to the strategic value to be attached to
the project for the construction of a railway from Baghdad to Haifa,
As it is understood that Sir Francis Humphrys expected to be in a position
to formulate certain proposals regarding this railway in the course of the next
few months, the following appreciation has been prepared by the Air Staff.
Reference should, in the first place, be made to the report of the Chiefs of
Staff Sub-Committee, C.I.D. Paper No. 884-B, which was prepared in 1928 at
the request of the Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence who
investigated the question of the proposed Haifa-Baghdad Railway and pipe-line.
The conclusion reached by the Chiefs of Staff on this subject was summarised
as follows :—
“ The proposed scheme for a pipe-line and railway from Baghdad to
Haifa is of the greatest strategical importance in connection with the supply
of oil fuel to the Navy at home, in the Mediterranean and on the route to
the Far East, and in addition should greatly strengthen the whole of our
defensive organisation in the Near East by facilitating the transport of men
and munitions to Iraq for the defence of our interests in those regions.
In the remarks which follow the Air Staff confine themselves to an
examination of the strategic considerations connected with the projected railway
which arise out of the decision taken in conformity with the Anglo-Iraq Treaty
of 1930 to establish a British Air Base on the West of the Euphrateb m tne
vicinity of Lake Habbaniya. . £ i i
When this Treaty was being negotiated in 1930, it was conndenth
anticipated that the problem of providing railway connection between the new
%al Air Force Base and the Railway system of Iraq would be solved by the
projected construction of the Baghdad-Haifa Railway, the proposed alignment
of which would cross the Euphrates at Dhibban in close proximity to the site
selected for the Roval Air Force Base. . .
In accordance with this expectation the 1930 agreement on Imanciai
Questions (Cmd. 3675) referred to in the Treaty contained the following
stipulation :—
“ If the Government of the United Kingdom should decide to establish
a British Air Base in the neighbourhood of Habbaniya, then the Iraq
Government shall take all possible steps, at no cost to either Government, to
arrange for the construction of a railway to connect such aii vmse with t c
railway system of Iraq.’ 7
[8312]
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [354r] (718/1068), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2851, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076591290.0x000077> [accessed 18 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100076591290.0x000077
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100076591290.0x000077">Coll 17/7(1) 'Iraq and Palestine: agreement for transit through Palestine of goods to and from Iraq; Baghdad-Haifa railway' [‎354r] (718/1068)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100076591290.0x000077"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x000189/IOR_L_PS_12_2851_0718.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x000189/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
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