ملف ١٩٠٤/٢٧٦٤ الجزء ٣ "سكة حديد بغداد: مفاوضات عامة ١٩١٠-١٩١٢." [و‎‎١‎٧] (٥٤٤/٤٢)

IThis Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's GovernmP.nt 1
[B]
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABlL
CONFIDENTIAL.
1912
[17026]
No. 1.
[2435 z—1]
A
4?:
/xr oio n ^ >V ^ j0W ^ ler t° Sir Edivard Grey.—(Received April 23 )
(iNo. olo.j v
’m your despatch No 114 of the 25th ultimo, y ou“gft^Sto asfmy
vw\\s as to whether, should an opportunity occur of obtaining from the Bagdad
Railway Company the transfer to a British Company of the branch of the line from
badrje to K ham kin m return for some concession to Germany elsewhere presumably
outside the Turkisn Empire, the Turkish Government, would be likely to raise
objections to such a transaction. ^
Khn ^ SS T e th u' J the transf 1 er ll , er f. referred to would be not merely that of the Sadii'e-
Khanikm bianch as an isolated line, which would in itself hardly be a desirable
acquisition to any British company, but would be part of a larger scheme involving
perhaps the eventual reversion to His Majesty’s Government of whatever rights and
privileges may have been secured under the Potsdam agreement to Germany for
railway construct’on in Persia from Khanikin, in the event of the Russian Govermnent
failing to complete and link up their Persian lines with the Khanikin branch within
live years after the completion of the latter. m
Wb Ak W p d jVEdyb’ tho Vf h v H is S01 ? ewh at difficult at present perhaps to gauge
vtk b l S i K 6 " ould j 56 to^rds such a transaction which would be influenced
bj the political considerations of the moment, it is probable that the Turkish Govern
ment might seize the opportunity to endeavour to obtain from ns some political or
financial advantage m return for an arrangement which while in no way implying a loss
to them would be regarded m the light of granting a favour to us. « a loss
v , - n C m e ^ ^ otiatloas towards arrangement would have to be concluded
a, rots. The 1 urkish Government would strongly resent any negotiations being carried
on between ourselves and the Germans without their knowledge.
I have, &c.
GERARD I.O'WTHER.
pMWMWKiig-eaa. , .V=5’V 1 ■ ■ 'nMj—mwi . , n ^
COPY TO 1Nl'■ |A
[ 10 MAY 1912
|SECRETARY’S N2 I 9 j