Identifier: persianprobleme00whig (find matches)
Title: The Persian problem; an examination of the rival positions of Russia and Great Britain in Persia, with some account of the Persian gulf and the Bagdad railway
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Whigham, Henry James, 1869-
Subjects: Baghdad Railway Eastern question (Central Asia)
Publisher: London Isbister
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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all to a foreign syndicate, and even if the syndicatedoes not build it immediately we cannot do anythingon that side of the Persian border. And it is obviousthat to start building a railway at Khanikin or Ker-manshah would be as sensible as to start in theplanet of Mars. We must begin where we have abase of supplies, and that brings us at once either tothe Karun or the Gulf. It is generally supposedthat it would be hopeless to attempt an ascent fromBushire—though it must be remembered that untillast January the country between Bushire andShiraz had never been surveyed, and all opinionson the subject are vague and rather worthless.Some day it is to be hoped that Shiraz will beconnected with Bushire by rail. But for the present we must look elsewhere, andBunder Abbas and Mohammerah are the onlystarting-points that suggest themselves. Of thesetwo the first to be chosen is Mohammerah, owingto the attractiveness of the Burujird-Teheran route,with branches to Kermanshah and Hamadan on the
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RUSSIAN POLICY 369 west side, and to Isfahan and Shiraz on the east.It would be perfectly safe to start this line with acapital of ,£5,000,000, but the ,£5,000,000 could notbe raised without the guarantee of our Government.Will or can our Government act in the matter?There is the crux. A low guarantee of 2\ per cent,for ten years would, I believe, be quite sufficient toattract the capital, and it must be remembered thatthe whole capital would not be expended until thegreater part of the time was expired, so that at thevery worst the Government would not have to findmore than ,£100,000 a year. Russia is spendingthat amount, and more, on pushing her trade, withthis difference, thatshe is spending it on premiumswhich only prop up the fabric of commerce in atemporary manner. A guarantee on a railway has amore permanent value, and is less opposed to theaccepted principles of political economy. This rail-way, which would be followed as soon as possible bya similar line from the coast, at

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