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File 1484/1916 ‘Persia; Quetta-Nushki Railway Extension’ [20r] (46/524)
The record is made up of 1 volume (258 folios). It was created in 2 Jan 1916-10 Feb 1920. It was written in English. 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.
expected and is acquainted with work, and with local conditions, officials and
traders. Experience will show whether a Trade Agent or Assistant Trade Agent
will also be required at Koh-i-Malik Siah. If desired transfer of the Agent’s
headquarters can be informal in the first instance ; and if one is needed local arrange
ments can be made by me for the time being for a man at Koh-i- Malik Siah.
Do you see any objection to action as above being taken by me ?
This is with reference to Foreign and Political Department telegram
♦SerialNo. 52. •^ N0 * 2417-S.,* dated the 28th December.
(58)
i Received Army Department Memorandum No. 59 dated 3rd January 1919.
Letter No. 077-71-Q. M. G , dated 23rd December 1918 (Secret);
(Received in War Section 30th December 1918.)
From The General Officer Commanding, 4th (Quetta) Division,
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
y ia ; ve honour to inform you that the Engineer-in-Chief, Nushki Exten-
, sion Kai.way, reports that the progress of the railway has been delayed by the
influenza epidemic and by the late receipt of Indian Labour Corps. He states
that to complete the line to Duzdab within a month of their arrival, he will require
an extra 3,000 men and 3,000 donkeys ; also 500 camels and 300 kegs for rations
and water. I have heard unofficially that the Railway Board has informed Colonel
Allum that there is no urgency for the completion of the railway to Duzdab before
the end of February. I would, however, observe that railhead at Duzdab would
save a number of camels for military transport, not only by reduction of distance,
but also owing to the plentiful grazing on the Duzdab-Hurmuk Section. The
absolute dearth of grazing round Juzzakandonthe Juzzak-Saindak-Robat Section
has caused serious mortality of camels. It would therefore be of great military
advantage to speed up the construction of the railway to (Duzdab.
2 . Mr. Gould, the Consul at Sistan, has made a proposal for opening trade
from Juzzak immediately, utilizing camels, from within the Afghan Border, pro
bably Ghilzai camels, wffiich have come for the winter to the Garmser, and which
would not in any case accept service under the Inspector-General of Communica
tions. Mr. Gould states that these camels returning from Sistan to pick up trade
leads at Juzzak would be able to work backloading and sideloading for the
Inspector-General of Communications. Brigadier-General Dickson agrees, on the
grounds that these camels are not in any case available for him. Primd facie the
proposal seems reasonable, but after careful consideration I am opposed to the
scheme ; I consider that it w'ould add unnecessary difficulties to a problem already
complex, that it might lead to friction between civil and. military interests, and
that it is unwise to risk incurring trouble which cannot at present be foreseen,
unless the need for resuming trade is of sufficient importance to justify such a step.
In this connection I anticipate that the profits from trade w©uld be"so great that
traders will offer high prices for camels, which will have a disturbing efiect on
our hired transport and Would probably tempt our men to desert in order to
work for the traders. I am informed that steps would be take by Consular
Officers to prevent such a conlingency, but I do not find this argument convincing.
3. A further proposal, referred to in my telegram No. 77-52-Q. dated Decem
ber 17th {Diary No. 100535) made by the Agent to the Governor-General, is to
utilize immediately for trade the Ghilzai camels which w‘e have detained in the
Quetta District for the Lines of Communication in East Persia and which will not
now be required in view of the revised programme given in your telegram
No. 99101-M. O.-l, dated December 12 th. These would be taken over by the Political
authorities at the same contract rates paid for the Ghilzais working on our Lines
of Communication. They would be sub-let to traders by the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
,
Chagai, and no traders bringing their own camels would be allowed to take up
loads. These camels Would proceed to Neh by roads, West of the Palang Koh
Range, or by other routes East of the Palang Koh not used by military camels, so
as to avoid the depletion of grazing and water, needed by the latter. From Neh
S82FD
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence, reports, memoranda and minute papers, relating to military and commercial assessments of an extension to the railway from Quetta to Nushki, British Baluchistan [present-day Pakistan], and from Nushki to Seistan [Sīstān], Persia [Iran]. The volume includes: a letter from Hugh Shakespear Barnes, Chairman of the Imperial Bank of Persia and a former government administrator in India, dated 29 January 1916 and enclosing an extract of a letter from the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Chagai, Frank Cooke Webb Ware, on the prospects of a railway line from Nushki to the Persian frontier (ff 250-256); a memorandum on the improvement of communications between Baluchistan and the Persian frontier, prepared by Webb Ware, dated 19 February 1916 (ff 184-189); a memorandum on the Quetta to Nushki railway extension, prepared by Webb Ware, dated 6 February 1917 (ff 154-161); the Government of India’s recommendations on the route of the extension, based on their objection to it passing too close to the Afghan frontier (f 116); a note on the Nushki extension railway, prepared by the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Chagai, Major William Gorden Hutchinson, dated September 1918, with details of the distances between stations, and watering and grazing facilities along the route (ff 70-80); copies of a note entitled ‘Trade Routes to Khurasan’ [Khorasan], prepared by Lieutenant B Temple, Vice-Consul at Meshed [Mashhad] and dated 14 June 1919 (ff 12-15, ff 41-57).
The volume’s principal correspondents are: the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India; the Agent to the Governor-General and Chief Commissioner in Baluchistan, Sir John Ramsay; and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Chagai.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (258 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 258; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, 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 leading and ending flyleaves. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/595
- Title
- File 1484/1916 ‘Persia; Quetta-Nushki Railway Extension’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1r:117v, 119r:145v, 149r:249v, 255r:258v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence