ملف ١٩٠٤/٢٧٦٤ الجزء ٣ "سكة حديد بغداد: مفاوضات عامة ١٩١٠-١٩١٢." [و‎‎٢‎١] (٥٤٤/٥٠)

in Illllll 1 I INI I III I U.U
CONFIDENTIAL.
Q
Sir G. Buchanan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received March 27, 10‘54 p.m.)
(No. 121. Confidential.) K. St. Petersburgh, March 27, 1912, 8'50 p.m.
YOUR telegram No. 281, Confidential,
At interview with Minister for Foreign Affairs to-day I turned conversation on to
Bagdad Railway, and asked whether he had seen a telegram from Constantinople
published in the press to the effect that Ottoman Government were proposing to
eliminate Russia and to give England, France, Germany, and Turkey 25 per cent, each
in Gulf section. His Excellency replied in the negative, and enquired whether I had
any official confirmation.
I said that I knew nothing whatever with regard to Turkish counter-proposals,
and was only curious to know what his Excellency thought of the above idea.
M. Sazonof replied that such a proposal would require very careful consideration.
He was inclined to think that it would be a mistake to accept it, as it would deprive
Triple Entente of the predominant control of the Gulf section. It would therefore, in
his opinion, be preferable that Russia should participate. The only argument in its
favour was that if Russia were excluded from Gulf section Germany might be excluded
from Trans-Persian Railway.
I am afraid that I cannot extract a clearer statement of his views without putting
questions to him officially. You will remember that last April Russian Government
strongly advocated Russian participation (see my despatch No. 110).
COPY TO INP|A
3 MAY 1912
SECRETARY’S N2 1 8
[151—1014]