File 2249/1915 Pt 1 ‘Oil: Mesopotamia & Persia: General File’ [‎42r] (88/478)

new company
to run them
(P 5519) From Political, Baghdad, 8th September 1919.
(Copy by pout to (corrupt group), ludia.)
(Received 8tli, 11 p.m.)
10539. Disposal of river craft. R,ah ( lad will bo completed during
1. Railway connection between ^be available for disposal,
next six months, and majoi P 31 ^ 010 p0 ]i c ^ outlined at Conference of Oth April,
liecent developments aenionstiate t . 1 j h)ij) ;l i rea ,] v obtained an effective
cannot now be given a y l, (i ; ,. n , ieu t0 re considev whole of question of
CZottion 1 1U «enei,, policy n, embodied m I ran.
portation Bill, now before Parliament , • ,! a( i m i„islratio„ should
2. The policy hitherto advocated heie has >- arreneies for its river trans-
maintain no river fleet should rcl y u F a 'oommitniems to railways, which His
portatiou service, and should les 1 , , at present be handed to a
Majesty's Government recently decided snout,l l
independently. . i crbt to bear upon them to abandon this
f understand that pressure has been • « . . ^ ( Ilic hcape’s group,
idea and to entrust transportation of oil u. Vesopotamta to ^ CorporatjoM) is , at
4. Lord Inchcape, trading as ’‘ f t ' 1 j ij , re j. iu Oil Company and sole agent
the same time, Government Dl ™ ct y p" j- a fiidf and Mesopotamia, and his local
Senf e^ged in import^ and
' f ^KlO^A^c^whiA 500,000- cases have recently been
received. . .... n nnr nnv i oca l commercial group can
5. Neither the Anglo-Persiap Od C omW ; which controls all ocean
asftjr • “ p ' ,c “
-“1 TSZtZS-X* .h.*., „.»»*- •"» —»* - l *
allowed I.ynch ; but it will •>« 1 ov ( , esirab lo to establish a Government
It is not m my judgment j - , j y recommend Government ninnm^it^
monopoly in river transportation iioi^dci^iccop
own steamers for commeicia P u 1 ^ ’ ‘ that Civil administration should take
7. 1 am, however, inclined to recommend dmtC d ^ a8 „ civll concern
over the Inhind Water Tmnsport or^anmation i^^^ ^ an( , miUtary purposes
from 1st April next, with sue ■ • | n cing its working costs meanwhile as
including the whole ml-carrying “^’/^"("ommercial basis, charging the Army
rapidlv as may be, and put whole conce 'i o ‘ . pd , it an() ships specially
from istAprillOSO.ahxedmtmpe. tofmtcmnih,^ ^ ^ ,. e(luiro b e mg sold or
maintained for military P , 'lP? p e a ^.'j.j^ebepnrtment of Government.
scrapped under the on em • i,p retained on grounds of public policy as a
8. The carrying of bulk oil would e . etamed ^ g ^ Inc , icape> an a ,t cannot
Government monopoly ; ^ ca " (f'p. ]: e . lr ea,lv own all the lighter installations for
be dealt with as economically by inn , wc
handling bulk-oil.