"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٢] (٢٨٤/٢٢٥)

72
Mr. R. Balfour enquired in May of this year
if His Majesty's Government would support a
British company formed to take over a concession
granted in 1897 to Yacoub Essayie, a Turkish
subject, to run a line of steamers on the Tigris
and Euphrates above Bagdad, but enquiries made
by the acting consul-general at Bagdad estab
lished the fact that the alleged concession was
nnt a bond fide one.
In the course of a considerable correspondence
which took place respecting attacks made by
Arabs on Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation
Company's steamers proposals were made that
the 44 Comet " should accompany the vessels, that
Indian troops should be put on board them, and
that a British gun-boat should patrol the Tigris.
It was considered advisable, however, to leave to
the Turkish authorities the full responsibility of
policing the river and protecting traffic.
1907. —After considerable negotiations Sir N.
O'Conor concluded an arrangement with the
Porte under which the Euphrates and Tigris
Steam Navigation Company was authorised to
place a third steamer on the Tigris until such
time as the Seniy6 (Hamidieh) administration of
the Civil List should have in use twelve cargo
steamers in addition to those already plying
between Bussorah and Bagdad. The company's
third steamer was to fly the Ottoman flag during
the course of its voyages. This arrangement
was recorded in notes exchanged on the 21st
February and the 4th March. The note from
the Porte specified the number of steamers then
employed by the Seniy^ administration as two,
but it was subsequently ascertained that six
vessels were actually in use. When the error
was pointed out by Sir N. O'Conor (18th March),
the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs (1st
June) maintained that the arrangement would
terminate when the Civil List increased the
number of vessels in service to fourteen.
In May, Sir N. O Conor received a note from
the Porte complaining that the company were
exceeding the limits of the arrangement relative
to the use of a third steamer by allowing the
vessel to tow barges. His Majesty's Government
considered that the concession for the third
steamer was similar, as regards the towing of
barges, to that in virtue of which the company's
other steamers had been allowed to tow, but it
was left to his Excellency to decide how and
1908— (cont.)
Mr. R. Balfour,
M.P., May 16
[17214/06].
Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 629.
September 8
[31380/06].
[File 18791/06].
1907.
[File 1910/07].
Sir N. ()' Conor,
No. 123,
February 26
[7042/07].
Sir N. O'Conor,
Nos. 172 and 338,
March 18 and
June 12
[9603 and
19799/07].
Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 303,
May 27
[17996/07].
To Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 275,
July 16,
[20429/07].