ملف ١٩٠٤/٢٧٦٤ الجزء ٣ "سكة حديد بغداد: مفاوضات عامة ١٩١٠-١٩١٢." [و‎‎١‎٧‎٣] (٥٤٤/٣٥٦)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government,]
BAGDAD RAILWAY.
SECRET.
[December 13.]
Section 1,
[44998] No. 1.
Sir G. Buchanan to Sir Edward Grey.—{Received December 13.)
(No. 483. Secret.)
Sir, St. Petersburgh, December 10, 1910.
SINCE writing my despatch No. 482 of yesterday’s date I have received from
M. Sazonow, in the strictest confidence, the text of the accompanying draft agreement,
which he has submitted to the German Ambassador, respecting Persia and the linking
np of the Bagdad Railway with a fntnre North Persian railway system.
In the conversation which I had with his Excellency yesterday, M. Sazonow made
a passing allnsion to article 1 of the draft agreement, but treated it as being devoid of
any political significance. This article, however, gives me the impression of having
been inspired by Germany for the purpose of detaching Russia from ns in any opposi
tion which we might make to the realisation of the Bagdad Railway scheme, and the
wording of it seems to lend itself to the interpretation that Russia is to be debarred
from supporting us in any steps which we may eventually have to take to prevent the
Gulf section falling under exclusive German control.
The wording of article 2 is somewhat involved, but Russia seems only to engage
to link up the two railway systems on the completion of the North Persian railway.
She does not undertake to complete that railway within any specified term, so that, by
postponing its construction, she still apparently retains her liberty to fix her own time
for connecting the Bagdad line with the North Persian railway.
It is curious that the draft agreement contains no reference whatever to the
question as to whether Russia is to have the right to construct the Bagdad-Khanikin
line. M. Sazonow gave Mr. O’Beirne distinctly to understand that Germany had
acquiesced in her right to do so, and on my alluding to the subject yesterday, his
Excellency, by not contradicting me, tacitly admitted that this was the case.
I will take an early opportunity of speaking to M. Sazonow on the various points
to which I have referred in this despatch.
I have, &c.
GEORGE W. BUCHANAN.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Draft Agreement.
I.
LE Gouvernement Imperial se declare dispose a ne pas faire d’opposition a la
realisation du Chemin de Fer de Bagdad et s’engage a n’apporter aucune entrave a la
participation de capitaux etrangers a cette entreprise. II va sans dire qu’aucun
sacrifice de nature pecuniaire ou economique ne sera exige de la part de la Russie.
II.
Afin d’aller au-devant du desir du Gouvernement allemand de relier le Chemin de
Fer de Bagdad an futur reseau des chemins de fer en Perse, le Gouvernement russe
s’engage a proceder, lorsque ce reseau aura ete construit, a la construction d’une ligne
qui se raccorderait, sur la frontiere turco-persane, a la ligne Sadidje-Khanekine, quand
cet embranchement du Chemin de Fer de Bagdad ainsi que la ligne de Konia a
Bagdad auront ete acheves. Le Gouvernement russe se reserve de fixer en son temps
le trace definitif de la ligne de raccordement qui doit aboutir a Khanekine.
^ Les deux Gouvernements faciliteront le trafic international sur cette derniere ligne
en evitant toutes mesures qui pourraient 1’entraver, telles que I’etablissement de droits
de transit ou 1’application d’un traitement differentiel.
[1821 n—1]