Miscellaneous Correspondence, Notes, and Newspaper Cuttings Relating to Persia [‎7r] (13/255)

Further the Persian Government in connection with
the next loan will probably be compelled by Russia to close
their account with the Imperial Bank of Persia and to con
fine themselves to the Banque des Prets*
The Bandar Abbas Bay and Clarence Straits almost
enclosed by the three islands of Kishm, Larak, and Hormuz
has a deep water area, 30 miles by 13, and could be made
one of the strongest naval bases in the world.
Given this, Russia could attack us at any point around
our Indian coasts whilst drawing away our land forces to
meet possibly three or four expeditionary forces by land.
The Zil es Sultan strongly advised our earmarking
Bandar Abbas by constructing a road from Bandar Abbas via
Kirman and Yezd to Ispahan at once, to check Russian
advance southv;ards through Khorassan.
A strong ground for the construction of this road
arises also from the fact, that for a very considerable
distance it might be made along the line of the new tele
graph which is to go from Kashan via Nain, Yezd, Kirman,
Regan, Bampur, and thence either by the Hushki route to
Quetta or by Panjgur to Kurrachee.
He said that now something could be done, but if we
delayed three, four or five years, all would be over.
Russia was quietly covering Persia like a great flood.
When arranging the road concession, we should also
have priority of right to construct a railway distinctly
recognised.
We should also build a railway and telegraph line
along the Sistan trade route to our Baluchistan frontier
without delay to enable us to maintain our rights in Sistan
and to facilitate our throwing a force on the flank of any
column advancing from Sistan into the Helmund valley or
into Baluchistan.
With regard to the Karun river and the Bakhtiari
trade route, I traversed this from Ispahan to Ahwaz