ملف ١٩٠٤/٢٧٦٤ الجزء ٢ "سكة حديد بغداد: مفاوضات عامة ١٩٠٨-١٩١٠." [و‎‎٤] (٧٩٩/١٦)

mmmmmKm
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
BAGDAD RAILWAY
SECRET.
[ 20075 ]
No. 1.
Mr. O’Beirne to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received June 6.)
(No. 261.)
Sir, St. Petersburgh, June 2, 1910.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 255, Confidential, of the 30th nltimo, I have
the honour to state that the Minister for Foreign Affairs to-day again spoke to me
regarding the method to be adopted in conducting negotiations with Germany
regarding Persia. His Excellency now stated that he had been thinking of the
advisability of informing Germany that the two Powers would not negotiate about
Persia otherwise than jointly. He thought that any kind of procedure by which we
kept in touch with one another while negotiating separately would be excessively
complicated and less certain in its results than the course which he now suggested.
He remarked that he was not certain whether His Majesty’s Government wished for
such negotiations d trois. I said His Majesty’s Government would certainly prefer
such negotiations, the only question was whether, if Germany absolutely declined to
negotiate in this way, it would be well for the two Powers to insist, with the result that
there would be no negotiations at all.
I also took the opportunity of reminding his Excellency of what you had said to
tlje German charge d’affaires on the 1st April regarding separate negotiations on the
Bagdad Railway question, as recorded in your telegram No. 156, of which a paraphrase
was communicated to his Excellency by Sir A. Nicolson. Although the statement
made by you as to the possibility of separate negotiations regarding the Bagdad
Railway would not make it impossible to refuse separate negotiations regarding Persia,
it occurs to me that the two questions are so closely connected that it might be difficult
to treat them differently.
M. Isvolsky stated that he thought there would be no harm in making an intimation
to Germany in the sense indicated. If she declined joint negotiations we could then
consider how to proceed. We should at any rate have shown the German Government
that the two Powers were not to be separated. In conclusion his Excellency said that
he would draw up a form of communication to the German Government which he
would submit to you.
I have, &c.
HUGH O’BEIRNE.
[2789 /—S]