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Miscellaneous Correspondence, Notes, and Newspaper Cuttings Relating to Persia [‎16r] (31/255)

The record is made up of 1 file (121 folios). It was created in 3 Feb 1899-31 Mar 1905. 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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iY, JUNE 6. 1899,
i
e
‘Y
el
»g
ule
1K)\j
(till
" •' 1 ***~*t,l'ft-
Uiftt they are associated with the project for a
Russian railway to thd Gulf, an avowal that, the ^
railway is intended to undermine British interests
in that region, and an assertion that within five
years the line will be in process of construction.
Thus we have already travelled far ahead of the
stage of denial. If these s'atements be accepted as
accurate—and we may at once say that they only
ontain half the real truth—they reveal to us that
.nssia is actively pushing forward her scheme for
'••ailway to Bunder Abbas, and hopes soon to
lise it. Where Russian locomotives go
Sp0TMOU' S8 ^ an ^ roo P 8 aro a l so t0 be found. Bunder Abbas.
a.i om
li.
^ «^nderAbbas as a Russian port, but this is not all.
nther enlightenment has just been forthcoming
^ ^^join no less a source than JVlirza Reza Khan, the
era mif er8 ^ an •‘^■buster at Berlin. Mirza Reza Khan
u^^cently Houted our assertion regarding Bunder
lai spu^bbas glibly enough, but he discussed the pro-
greeted Russian railway to the Gulf with a Daily
ttu
otn
eijl i|
sq ‘r
.me.
rl rr p
Suif
SAW
peti
x News correspondent with an absence of reserve
' “which we find highly gratifying. He said:—
snq.
siqgf
nos
•to ra
qM-
oq;
asip
' *ihX
“Though I cannot vouch for the details of the
statement, on the whole I think them correct.
But they are by no means calculated to give rise
to political difficulties. The plan of such a rail
way from tho Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
is thirty years old or more. Some years
ago Russian contractors got the concession, which
was several times renewed. As next year the
last term for which it was granted expires, it is
natural that at last the work shou’d be begun by
the, making of surveys. This pur ly economic
ami cultural undertaking has nothing to do with
the extension of Russian Eastern policy. I can
only attribute the misunderstanding on tho sub
ject to the rivalry against Russia which has be
come a fixed idea in certain English circles.”
A responsible Persian Minister thus fully
confirms what the newspaper correspondents
above quoted have stated with reference to
the general scope of the proposed railway. The
exercise of commonsensei by any reasonable man
5
l‘>
, '9
U
V." -
e
>5
a
I f
\
uo who is acquainted with the past history of Russian 1 a
“ expansion ” ought to convince him regarding its ^
outcome. Russia does not run railways into (
blind alleys. Wherever she goes, she seeks an ; o
iY, JUNE 6 . 1899
iy
el
ng
ide
A ?
We
in-
, to
ing
OSS
nd
m.
is
in
ho
>es
th
Pg
ge
that they are associated with the project for a
Russian railway to the Gulf, an avowal that the
railway is intended to undermine British interests
in that region, and an assertion tliat within five
years the line will be in process of construction.
Thus we have already travelled far ahead o£ the
stage of denial. If these s'atements be accepted as
accurate—and we may at once say that they only
contain half the real truth—they reveal to us that
Russia is actively pushing forward her scheme for
a railway to Bunder Abbas, and hopes soon to
realise it. Where Russian locomotives go
Russian troops are also to be found. Bunder Abbas,
as the terminus of a Russian railway, means
BhnderAbbas as a Russian port, but this is not all.
Further enlightenment has just been forthcoming
from no less a source than IVlirza Reza Khan, the
Persian Minister at Berlin. Mirza Reza Khan
recently Honied our assertion regarding Bunder
Abbas glibly enough, but be discussed the pro
jected Russian railway to the Gulf with a Daily
News correspondent with an absence of reserve
which we find highly gratifying. He said:—
“Though I cannot vouch for the details of the j i
statement, on the whole I think them correct, j ;
But they are by no means calculated to give rise i
to political difficulties. The plan of such a rail- IJ
way from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. '
is thirty years old or more. Some years ' ’
ago Russian contractors got the concession, which I
was several times renewed. As next year the !
last term for which it was granted expires, it is 1 :
natural that at last the work shou’d be begun by j ]
the making of surveys. This purAy economic
and cultural undertaking has nothing to do with
the extension of Russian Eastern policy. I can
only attribute the misunderstanding on the sub
ject to the rivalry against Russia which has be
come a fixed idea in certain English circles.”
A responsibffi Persian Minister thus fully
confirms what the newspaper correspondents
above quoted have stated with reference to
the general scope of the proposed railway. The
exercise of commonsensej by any reasonable man
who is acquainted with tiie past history of Russian
“ expansion " ought to convince him regarding its
outcome. Russia does not run railways into
blind alleys. Wherever she goes, she seeks an
outlet, and she retains control of that outlet. MirzarK
Reza Khan may hug the notion of a “ purely
economic and cultural undertaking” to his heart if
he will, but British statesmen ought to know by
now that the only “ cultural undertaking'
that Russia cares about is the culture of Im
perial power. Whenever Russia mediates an ad
vance, her schemes are always heralded by an
active propaganda in the inspired Russian press.
Her plans for the suppression of freedom in Fin
land were proceeded by an incessant agitation iu
her newspapers.So it is with regard to her proposed
move upon the Gulf. The campaign lias already
been opened by her subsidised journalists. Here
As an extract from an article which appeared a
month ago in the notorious Viedomosti oi bios-
•ow:—
Russia must anticipate the Germans in reach- '<■
jjng the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Russia’s chief line of ‘
railway must lead from the Caspian Sea j <
i.
3 find half our party missing the next morning.
RUSSIA IN THE GULF.
The Times of India writes :—When we first
mnonneed that Russia had acquired rights over
die port of Bunder Abbas, a chorus of denials
went up from Simla to St. Petersburg. Deep
nailed unto deep, and in many quarters we were
roundly denounced for giving currency to a
“mischievous lie” at the very moment when a
new Tsar Pacificator was calling upon the nations
to lay down their arms. Ambassadors hurried off
to news agencies to cireula'e “aulhoritative ” con
tradictions, and the British Foreign Oflice, where
the Cult of the Negative has become a fine art,
vouch safed to anxious enquirers the customary
reply that it was “"without information.” We were
not disturbed by these denials. We had expect
ed them, and were content to wait. Already
the process of vindication is at work. Tko Europ
ean press, having recovered from the influence
of the first point-blank contradictions, is not
quite so ready to trust the assurances of Persian
Ministers and Russian statesmen that there is
“nothing in it.” Stray hints of the real charac
ter of the negotiations which have recently taken
place are beginning to- leak out. TheiLriin corres-
pendent of the Standard was the fii's\,lo take up
the parable on the true lines. Ue^ifo cautious,
but he had evidently got on the ®ck of the
mystery. His message ran thus r ,Tf'
“The denials given by the Persian Ministers in
Europe to the rumour that Persia had leased or
ceded the harbour of Bunder Abbas to Russia are
perfectly correct, as the two States have not been
able to come to an understanding on the question.
It seems probable, however, that Russia will re
sume the negotiations before long, since it is an
open secret that she wishes to have an alternative
route, the Suez Canal, for the transport of ammu
nition and troops to Eastern Asia before the
completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway.”
It will be seen that this version contained the
important admission that the question of the
ieaso of Bunder Abbas has, at any rate, been dis
cussed by the Russian and Persian Governments,
! l-w.y n.nnoivnceinent that the negotia
tions were to be resumed before long. This carries
us a long way beyond the unequivocal disclaimer
of the Persian Ambassador in London. Light
begins to dawn. About the same time, the Daily
Mail correspondent at St. Petersburg—who has
several times of late proved to be singularly well-
informed—committed himself to still more ex
plicit and important statements. He sent the
following message te. his paper :—
“Despite the denial by the Persian Legation here
of the report that Russia had acquired rights over
Bunder Abbas in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , 1 have good
authority for stating, that negotiations, of a pro
visional character respecting Bunder Abbas have
taken place between St. Petersburg and
Teheran. These negotiations are connected with
the general communications which have been
; going on with regard to the building of a,
railway to Teheran, and the prolonging of Russia’s:
railway monopoly concession to the year 1911.
Bunder Abbas would be selected the terminus-
of the proposed railway through Persia, because
of the ell act it would have in paralysing British
influence in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Although the Shah
has declared himself willing to grant the pro
longation of the railway concession for another
ten years, the question of Bunder Abbas has. not
yet been decided, as Russia has her hands fettered
financially by the building of the Siberian Rail
way. Russian engineers are now in Persia making
surveys for the tarrying out of the project, which
in another five years will he realised,”
Here, then, for what they are worth, wo receive
moreidefinite details of the negotiations regarding
Bunder Abbas, coupled with uu acknowledgment
to Teheran, Ispahan, Yezd, Kerman, Bampur; \ 1
and thence to the coast line of Persian ^
Beluchistan. Prom such a line a branch line !
could be built to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Neither I
in Persia nor in Mcsopatamia must any other I
influence except that of Russia prevail. There- |
fore, the aims of Russia in its movement towards I
the South must bo industrial and commercial, i :
and, so soon as England insists upon preventing 1
the fulfilment of such aims, then Russia will
have recourse to threats, and certain complications
might lead to- wa , Russia might derive no- par
ticular advantage from seizing India, but it can
undermine England from an economic point of
view, and thus reduce it to the level of
Holland. Remarks such as these cannot fail to
be appr eiated by English politicans ; such
utterances at least go some way towards
destroying the over-weening contempt of the
Indian Administration an. its Generals for
Russia’s aims, and will probably disturb their
belief in the fanatical foes of Russia. England’s
statesmen must bear in mind that Russia has
no special need to disturb English rule in India;
but this is only under the condition that they will
not oppose Russia’s natural endeavour to reach th»
South, an endeavour to which, as a powerful and
great nation, it has every right.”
Be it noted that in this particular instance;,
the coast of Persian Belchistan is named as the
chief objective. Bunder Abbas being, presum
ably, the probab.e terminus of the branch,
line indicated. This doubtless means that the not
very manifest advantages of Ghahbar are still
bein g kept in view by those responsible for the.-
Russian plans. The Svet, another Russia journal,,
published three-weeks ago an article ;n a some
what similar strain. It was ostensibly intended to
oppose the proposal for a junction betweenRussian
and Indian railways.
“If it were thought necessary, says the Svet,” te
divert the attention of Russian diplomacy from
Constantinople ■ or Peking, Russia should
occupy herself, exclusively with establishing,
communication between her possessions in Central.
Asia and the Indian Ocean by means of a
railway traversing Persia. This line and the
Trans-Siberian Railway would then consti
tute two gigantia arms with which Russia would
encircle all the spheres of British interests in Asia,,
and would not allow England to extend her in
fluence indefinitely at the expense of Russian in
terests. The line in question, connecting Russia by
way of Persia with the Indian Ocean, would be of
real use to Russia, while the junction of the
Russian and Indian lines would be specially ad
vantageous to the British Government.”
We do not desire to attach undue importance to
these quotations, culled as they are from various
scources. They may be straws, but they show
which way the wind is blowing. For ourselves,
we unhesitatingly reaffirm our original state
ment that Russia has already acquired certain
rights over Bunder Abbas, and proposes to make
that port the terminus of a Russian railway as
soon as her resources will enabie-her to do so. Our
sole purpose iu repeatedly calling attention to this
question is to urge upon the British Government,
and, so far as our voice will reach, upon the
British people, the importance of deciding
upon a definite policy in Persia and the Gulf,
while there is yet time. If we can help to awaken
a realisation of the vast British interests involved
in these Russian schemes, our object will have
been attained. The great question is—Will Great
Britain consa-nt to accept the exclusion of British
influence from Persia and Gulf, and the- advent
of Russian naval and military power into Indian
waters which the acquistion of Bunder Abbas will
eventually imply ? And will she submit- to the
perpetual menace to the peace of India presented
by the proposed Russian advance ? This is a
question which has a far more intimate bearing;,
upon the. peace of the world than the Confer
ence, foredoomed to failure, now the cynosure of
the people of Europe. The historians of the:
future will surely wonder that the Great Powers,
should, have consented to send representatives
at all to a Conference convened under such co-n-.
ditions. The proposals for disarmament have,
been submitted by a Ruler whose advisers
are aatively engaged in one continent in
building.warships by the dozen, and crushingrthe
liberties of a free people to add another aiany
corps-to his swollen legions ; in another continent, c
in.projecting a scheme which musfe assuredly end
in, a deadly conflict sooner or later. That at such
a. time responsible statesmen could have been,
persuaded to discuss with polite gravity plans for
the perpetuation of peace is a proof that the
depths of diplomatic humbug Lave not yet been
plumbed.
Db. de Jongh’s Li&ht-Bbcwn Cod Liver Oil.—
In Consumption ita efficacy is unsqualled.. Dr. Sinclair
Coghill, Physician, to the Koyal National Hospital for
Consumption, Veatnor, wr tes : “ I have convinced my
self that in Tubercular and the various, forms of Stru-
raous Disease. Da-, de dough’s Light-Bjown Cod Liver
Oil possesses greater therapeutic elficacy than any
other Cod Liver Oil with which I am, acquainted. Dr.
de Jongh’s Oil is now the only CoA Liver Oil used in
the Koyal National Hospital for Consumption and
Diseases of'the Chest.” tk>ld only in capsuled imperial
Half-Plate, Pints, and Quarts, by all Chemists,
DrugoAste, and Store-keepers. Soie Consigness : Ansar,
Harford & Co., Ld., 210-, High Molborn, London. 4,
TYaill’s Indian Diaries for 1899.
OSDKM own BKIJvQ BrKajSTEBKD.,
31b4u

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Content

The file contains miscellaneous papers, mostly correspondence, notes, and newspaper cuttings, mainly relating to Persia [Iran]. The papers largely relate to Russian influence in Persia, and include papers concerning railway construction in Persia.

The correspondence consists of letters addressed to George Nathaniel Curzon from various individuals, and correspondence between other individuals, including printed copies of correspondence of the Marquess of Salisbury, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with British officials including Henry Mortimer Durand, HM Minister at Tehran.

The newspaper cuttings are from newspapers including: The Englishman; Daily Chronicle; the Civil and Military Gazette; The Times; The Madras Mail; The Pioneer; The Statesman ; and The Morning Post .

The file also includes a few documents relating to Koweit [Kuwait] (folios 55 to 56, and folios 49 to 52).

The file includes a copy of the publication Revue Franco-Persane Économique et Politique Paraissant Tous Les Mois [Franco-Persian Economic and Political Review Published Every Month], dated June 1900, which is in French (folios 101 to 109).

Extent and format
1 file (121 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in no apparent order within the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 125; 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.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Miscellaneous Correspondence, Notes, and Newspaper Cuttings Relating to Persia [‎16r] (31/255), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/353, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100089356797.0x000020> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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