مجموعة ٧/١٧(١) "العراق وفلسطين: اتفاقية نقل البضائع من وإلى العراق عبر فلسطين؛ سكة حديد بغداد-حيفا" [ظ‎‎٢‎٤‎٧] (١٠٦٨/٥٠٥)

in the Colonial Office was attended by lasin Pasha, Mr. Sievwright and
Mr. Hogg, the Adviser to the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. Proposals on the
rlr.a™m ntiAr t>ip Palpstine (rnvermnpnt nn tViP Kaoto /
following lines were drawn up by the Palestine Government on the basis of these
discussions and were communicated to the Iraqi Government in October 1933
Provided that the Iraqi Government will give an undertaking to use ther
best endeavours to promote the development of traffic by the Haifa-Bagdad route,
the Government of Palestine will—
(i) Offer free zone facilities to Iraqi goods at Haifa; and
(ii) Arrange, for a minimum period of three years, the following benefits for
traffic by the Haifa-Bagdad route :—
(a)
W
(d)
i e )
The provision and maintenance of a motor road through the lava
region in Transjordania east of Mafrak.
The provision and maintenance of a motor road from Mafrak to
Irbid in Transjordania.
The exemption from Palestinian import duty of Iraqi barley and
ghi imported by the Transjordan route.
The reduction of the Palestinian import duties on Iraqi dates and
rice so imported.
Reciprocity as regards licence fees leviable on motor vehicles using
that route.
7. For various reasons the Iraqi Government were slow to give the under
taking required by the Government of Palestine; and during the present month Gimtilit
these proposals were amplified in a further communication to the Iraqi Govern- iigk An
ment on the following lines :— i" ^nmissic
(a)
(d)
(*)
(/)
Provided they guarantee for the Transjordan route as favourable
facilities as those accorded to traffic using the Syria overland routes,
the Iraqi Government may qualify their undertaking by a stipulation
to the effect that they are not prepared actively to discriminate m
favour of that route. ;
The proposed agreement may be extended automatically in the absence
of twelve months’ notice of withdrawal by either side.
Palestinian import duties on ten specified commodities, comprising the
remaining principal exports from Iraq to Palestine, will not be raised
during the duration of the agreement in the absence of six months
notice.
The motor road between Irbid and Mafrak will be completed as soon as
possible. 1
If desired, a portion of one of the existing sheds at Haifa will be set
aside for the exclusive use of Iraqi goods pending reservation ot
part of the port area for purposes of a free zone.
Iraqi traffic will not be exploited in the port of Haifa through the
medium of port dues and handling charges, or otherwise.
iita res
8. Further delay has been occasioned by the fall of the Cabinet. T e
proposals of the Government of Palestine are still under consideration by the
Permanent Transport Board, and no decision is likely to be given until the new
Ministers have disposed of the budget and have had time to digest^them. ^ ^
9.
the French
While the development of the Transjordan route is thus hanging hre,
ich have made considerable progress on the Svrian routes. A y reni ;
progress unc ^jxxc*xx x—
motor-transport company operating in Syria, the Compagnie Auto-Routiere
> V.'X Cli A A J. CIj AAA V A A Gil} G A AV_> V^AAA
Levant, has been taken over by the subsidised Damas, Hama, et Prolongeme
Railway Company. The Nairn Transport Company is associated with
combine; and so is the port of Beirut, where a free zone for transit d ooc * s ^
inaugurated in January 1934. Full customs exemption is given in respect
vehicles, fuel and accessories required for the transit traffic, for which port
in Beirut and rail charges to Damascus have been much reduced. The
Transport Company have already brought into commission on the Damasc ^
Bagdad route a Marmon-Herrington “semi-trailer truck" with a c ^P acl
20 tons. If this is a success, the railway company are prepared to finance
introduction of larger units to the same design, notably a 40-ton “ trailer ra