"تقارير عن (١) تنظيم الملاحة في نهر شط العرب من ميناء البصرة إلى الخليج الفارسي وعن (٢) تطوير ميناء البصرة. إعداد السير جورج بيوكانان، فارس، حامل وسام الإمبراطورية الهندية" [ظ‎‎١‎١] (٦٢/٢٦)

20
W "Th, a, Bagtdad-Klianildn-KenDansIjal,
£'1 60 T^ 7 1 " " M-W™. bl"
e wai. Ttree-quarters oi the imports at Basra went to Baehdarl
and the greater part were destined for Persia. I„ normal timet
KS al ~ y K" a
snn -i " j f '- v river ^ om Basra to Baghdad is about
as TrT v ?a g Had t0 Kermanshah 220 miles. As'far
hamkm, 95 miles, the road is quite patsabfe for wheel traffic.
Q^rTshirhf T, a cart 7 as rui ming from Kermanshah ta
yasr i-bhinn. The population pf Kermanshah has been estimateri
at about 60,000 persons, and the town is of considerable importancf
both strategically and commercially since it is nearly equidistant
from Tabriz, Enzah, Tehran and Baghdad with which places it has
good communications, being the distributing centre for the district
of Kuxdistan and Hamadan." -xicta
(5) It is obvious that if British superiority is to be; maintained in the
markets of the north-west and the centre pf Persia, very special attcn
. P aid to the Baghdad-Ivermanshah route Sen'
navigation between Basra and Baghdad is cheapened and rendered
safe, when alternative railway communication. 200 miles less in
istance, is provided to Baghdad, and above all, when railway
communication is opened between Baghdad and Khanildn, enormous
x petus wiU be given to this route; and British interest should be
supreme m the markets whicli it, supplies."
(6 ' ^ haS J been realised development of
Biitish trade with Persia is dependent primarily on the improvement
of communications.. All other measures which have been proposed
rom time to time for the encouragement of commerce are of quite
subsidiary importance." 4
(7) "British ascendency in the Gulf has been immeasurably enhanced
by the occupation of Iraq, while experience gained in the present
^ |ulldamental importance of retaining
S and the Gulf — f Mesopotamia, Arabis"'
tan and the Gulf generally, m the shape of grain, oil and cotton in
SS, "* "" Ewi " " •• % tm *SiS
ssiTi" eov ™"' - '»• im. M «
a preserve for the shipping of the British Empire would, at one,
aU the h/ 6 ^ n?P ? 1 !^ Cal adminis riation and our commerce from
b..
latter part of quotation No 7 that-fh rem ark m connexion with the
shipping for a oeriod of vp' n ' UggestlontocI< ? setIleG ulf against a ZZ foreign
Government; moreover as for i f tabllslled P ollc y ^ the British
shortage of shipping tonnage, such a mhT 6 M 6 War there muSt 1,6 a w orld
pent of the new country and its principal poI™ neCeSSarl1 ? cram P t]le develop-