"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎٦‎٢] (٢٨٤/١٢٤)

107
To Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 275,
Jnly 16, 1907
[20429, File
1910/07].
Sir Gr. Mackenzie,
October 24 and 26,
1905
Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 808,
November 14,
1905.
Sir N. O'Conor,
Telegraphic,
March 27, 1907
[10003, File
1910/07].
Sir C. Hardinge,
April 14, 1907
[12713, File
1910/07].
Sir G. Mackenzie,
May 10, 1907
[15350, File
1910/07].
Sir Gr. Mackenzie,
September 17,
1908 [32528, File
2344/08].
barges. Sir N. O'Conor was informed by the
Foreign Office that the concession for the em
ployment of the third steamer shonld be regarded
as similar to that in virtue of which the other
steamers of the company had been allowed to
tow barges. He pointed out, however, that no
mention of barges had been made in the nego
tiations subsequent to his note verbale of the
12th January, 1907, and proposed not to reply
to the Porte's complaint, in the hope that the
objection would not be pressed. No further
action was taken in the matter.
Attempts had been made by Sir G. Mackenzie
(British India Steam Navigation Company) in
1901-5 to obtain command of the Oman ( Ha-
midieh) steamers. In October 1905 he furnished
the Foreign Office with a copy of a draft agree
ment to " lease, work, and manage the flotilla of
river steamers and barges on the Euphrates and
Tigris Eivers belonging to the Civil List."
Under article 2 of this agreement a monopoly
of navigation was contemplated, exception
being made in favour of the Euphrates and
Tigris Steam Navigation Company; but it was
pointed out in a memorandum furnished by the
embassy at Constantinople that article 9 of the
Bagdad Railway Convention tended to stultify
such monopoly. Sir G. Mackenzie's negotiations
ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Nearly eighteen months later (March 19'>7) it
was reported from Constantinople that the
Anatolian Railway Company were in negotia
tion with the Turkish Civil List with a view to
obtaining the latter's monopoly of navigation of
the Tigris in return for a loan. Sir G. Mackenzie
was then still engaged in trying to get control of
the Hamidieh steamers.
It was proposed that he should continue his
efforts in combination with Mr. Lynch and
Mr. D'Arcy, but as Mr. Lynch desired to bring
about co-operation between the British and
Turkish steamer services the proposal was not
found to be practicable.
In September 1908 Sir G. Mackenzie reported
that the administration of the Hamidieh com
pany was in a state of chaos, and he offered,
through his agents at Constantinople, to purchase
their steamers or to undertake the management
of the river service, on the understanding that
the vessels should fly the Ottoman flag.
In the course of subsequent negotiations