ملف ١٩١٦/١٣٢٣ الجزء ١ "بلوشستان: الأوضاع المضطربة على الحدود الأنجلو فارسية. الإدارة المستقبلية لولايات مكران وسرهد وقلات" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٩] (٨٩٦/٣٣٥)

profits. A telegram has been sent (Serial No. 173) to the Government of
India suggesting that it would be a simpler and more convenient arrange
ment if His Majesty’s Government shared the net profit in any year in which
such a profit accrued, but were relieved from sharing the net loss in any
year in which a net loss occurred.
The Secretary of State for India readily admits that even this arrange
ment would not be an attractive one in comparison with the purchase of
the line for a lump sum which Their Lordships suggested, especially in
view of the fact that, as is disclosed in the first paragraph of the Govern
ment of India’s telegram, (Serial No. 154) no profits are as yet being made,
or seem likely to be made in the near future, on the Nushki-Mirjawa section.
On the other hand, continuing to regard the question for the moment solely
from the financial standpoint, Their Lordships will not overlook the fact
that the traffic over the line already enriches Persia to the extent of some
8,000,000 krans (say £160,000) per annum in Customs Revenue and to this
extent promotes her ability to meet her liabilities to His Majesty’s Govern
ment. It is thus, indirectly at least, to His Majesty’s Government’s
advantage to acquiesce in any arrangement which even though it may bring
in no immediate return or actually involve a small theoretical loss, tends
to maintain in existence a really considerable source of revenue to Persia.
Until the Indian line does show a regular excess of revenue over expen-,
diture the Treasury will merely fail to recover the annual interest on the
possibly realisable sum of Rs. 2‘75 lakhs [the estimated net break (Pro. 84
in Pile 70 (1) M. of 1923, Nos. 1-89) up value of the Mirjawa-Duzdap line],
say £916 at 5 per cent. The Government of India, on the other hand, are
losing annually, (i) the interest on Rs. 29'33 lakhs, say £9,776, (ii) nearly, if
not quite, Rs. 4 lakhs (say £26,666), the deficit between the working costs
of and revenue from the line, (iii) the extra cost involved by the detachments
protecting the line, about Rs. 1'5 lakhs, (iv) the cost of political expenditure
in the Sarhad for largely, the indirect protection of the line (about Rs. 1
lakh) until it is reduced by Persian assumption of control. Viscount Peel
considers therefore that so long as the Government oi India are prepared
for political and other reasons to continue to face an annual loss on this
side amounting to over £50,000, it is not too much to expect that the
Imperial Government will be ready to defer for so long the recovery of £90
annually. I am to express the hope that the Secretary of State for loreign
Affairs will be able to obtain the consent of The Lords Commissioners, m
the lidit of the foregoing considerations, to his exercising his discretion in
disposing of the Mirjawa-Duzdap section of railway m whatever way may
seem most expedient to him in consultation with the Secretary of State foi
India and the Government of India, on the understanding that if the line is
maintained in being, the Treasury will not in any case be asked to contribute
towards the recurrent loss and will receive a share of the net prefits, if any,
in the manner described in paragraph 2 above. If it be decided ultimately
to remove the line for sale, the Treasury will receive their due share of the
nroceeds the amount of which will of course depend on whether the
Mirjawa-Duzdap section has or has not meanwhile been given to the Persian
Government.
The fact disclosed by the Government of India that d es P lte the . alt ® r{ V
the'Nushki^Mirjawa line'stiU As high as Rs. 4 lakhs in, apparently, little
over 12 months, is disappointing.
Two considerations, one of urgent importance, emerge from this fact.
In the first place though it is understood from His Majesty’s
In the hrst place, A • i No 149 ) that he has said nothing to
Ministers telegram No. 399 (beriai ino. Government is con-
the Persian Government assume that me line