ملف ١٩٠٤/٢٧٦٤ الجزء ٣ "سكة حديد بغداد: مفاوضات عامة ١٩١٠-١٩١٢." [و‎‎١‎٥‎١] (٥٤٤/٣١٠)

3
Dated Baghdad, the 7th October 1910.
From —Sir William Willcocks,
To— J. G. Lorimer, Esq., C.I.E., Political Resident in Turkish Arabia and His
Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General, Baghdad.
I enclose two copies of a plan showing all possible railways between
Baghdad and Basrah.
As far as I can see I shall be forced to make an escape for the Tigris down
the depression which runs from the extreme end of Ctesiphon curve down to
Nasria. Once the escape is made the Tigris in the Amara reach will be capable
of great development, and I must carefully examine the tract which hitherto
I have everlooked as it is a kind of washpot for the Tigris.
The first result will be that the line of railway down the left bank of the
Tigris from Baghdad to Kut and thence to Amara, Gurna and Basrah will
become an excellent line of railway, the shortest and the best between Baghdad
and Basrah.
The navigation of the Tigris downstream of Amara hangs on such a fine
thread and may any day come to a dead stop, that we should be ready with an
alternative Tigris railway.
Baghdad without the Tigris navigation will be an unimportant town unless
a railway quickly takes its place.
Mind the Euphrates has completely changed its course in two different
places, and so can the Tigris. It has done so in the past.
Dated Baghdad, the 15th October 1910.
From—S ir William Willcocks,
T 0 J. Gr. LouimeR, Esq., C.I.E., Political Resident in Turkish Arabia and His
Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General.
I have already sent you plans and a letter about this. I send you copy
of the letter I sent the Vali. If we are not ready beforehand with our railway
through the National Bank of Turkey or some other interested party, and
suddenly the Tigris is shut to navigation, the Turkish Government will in
despair have to call for the damnable and useless de^t.j:aiIw.a^..Qf thu„G£Xmans,
useless to all except the Anatolian Bailway shark. Now that the railway can
go profitably along the left bank of the Tigris, I am working on the Nahrwan
project and hope to have it in the first batch of work.
No. 57.
Bagdad,
9 Octobre 1910,
Son Excellence le Vali, Bagdad.
Excellence,
A^nWITmi cet endroit, en aval d’Abo Gherbi, constitue un deversoir