Page 604 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

4 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF

Since then their attitude in this connection has assumed a less uncom­
promising aspect, and it may soon be possible for us to return to the attack.
Meanwhile, a preliminary examination made in the spring of 1911 by
Lieutenant A. T. Wilson indicated that the project offered no insuperable
difficulties from an engineering point of view, but the result of the investiga­
tion of its economic possibilities by the Board of Trade and Government of
India somewhat discounts the favourable opinions expressed by British
capitalist*.
Railways in Fars.—An application by a group of capitalists, headed by
Mr. C. Green way, was made to the Persian Government for a concession for
a project including lines from Bandar Abbas to Shiraz and Mohammerah,
and Bushire to Shiraz. Negotiations were well advanced when they were
abruptly terminated owing to the dismissal of the Treasurer-General,
Mr. Shuster, who had been charged by the Persian Government with the
negotiations. They have not since been resumed.
The investigation prosecuted by Lieutenant A. T. Wilson, in July and
August, of the possibilities for a connection between Bushire and some point
on a Bandar Abbas-Shiraz alignment near Jahrum indicated that no serious
engineering difficulties existed, but threw doubt on the prospects of such a
connection, as a commercial speculation.
During the year a modified scheme, involving less capital outlay than
that originally put forward by the
Lighting and buoying in the Gulf.
Lighting Committee of 1905, was laid
before His Majesty’s Government with a view to immediate inception. Up
to the end of the year their formal sanction had not been received to the
scheme as a whole, but meanwhile the existing buoys and beacons were taken
oyer from the British India Steam Navigation Company and some of the
simpler recommendations of the Committee carried out,' including a close
and accurate survey of the Sbatt-el-Arab Bar and the approaches to Kuwait
and the provision of a gas buoy at the outer bar, the channel of which was
fully re-buoyed during the year.
Unfortunately our action in this direction was anticipated by a few
days by the Turks, owing to the absence of any information as to the prac­
tical steps the latter were taking to carry out their announced intention to
make their own arrangements for buoying the bar. Their preparations to
this end included the leisurely construction by Indian rivetters in their work­
shops, at Basrah of several large buoys the existence of which was only known
to His Majesty's Government a few hours before their conveyance to the
bar.
The Jask installation continued to work satisfactorily, and a temporary
installation was also effected at the
Wire!au inrulla’.ion.
Cable House at Rishehr, without any
opposition on the part of the Persian authorities who indeed freely made
use of the facilities afforded.
The comprehensive scheme for the Gulf generally, which was under the
consideration of His Majesty’s Government during the year, had not received
final sanction up to the close thereof.
In the hope of arriving at an amicable settlement of the many items of
conflicting interest existing between
Negotiations with the Porte.
Great Britain and the Porto in Turkish
Arabia and the Gulf, after some preliminary pourparlers a memorandum
was presented to the Turkish Government, in July, giving a frank exposition
of our claims and reauirements both in regard to the Baghdad Railway, the
status of Kuwait and Gulf questions generally.
Negotiations were commenced during the year, but had not made much
definite progress, and unfortunately, while His Majesty’s Government studi­
ously avoided in the meanwhile any action in the region in question calculat­
ed to disturb the status quo or Turkish sensibilities, the Turks on the contrary
lost no opportunity of endeavouring to better their position for negotiation
by hurried attempts to modify the local status quo in their own favour.