BAGDAD RAILWAY

First conce ion made in 1888 to group of Brit. and Ger. capitalists for extension of the British subsequently bought out, and practically a Ger. concern; Germany’s motive ostensibly commercial, but really political; project spoken of in Germany as B.B.B. (Berlin, Byzantium, and Bagdad Ru.). At close of 1899 the obtained conce ion for construction of line from Konia, eastern terminus of the Anatolian system, to Basra and Persian Gulf; conce ion for $9 years, entire line to be completed in eight years. Convention signed March 5, 1903, giving, in effect, complete control to the Ger. Government. After a Brit. protest, fresh arrangements made whereby Ger. financial group controlled 40 per cent of the capital, French group 20 per cent. Attempts to secure Brit. participation in the scheme failed. Intention was that the terminus should be Koweit, on Persian Gulf, but Britain | insisted that there should be no extonsion beyond Basra without her consent. An agreement—terms of which have not been disclosed—was initiated by Lord Grey and Count Lich now sky in June 1914, but had not been ratified when war broke out. At that time line had been carried as far as Karapunar, W. of the Taurus range. The 20 m. stage through the mts. was not completed till the close of 1916. On other side of the range line had been completed from Dorak to Adana, and continued to Namurie, where a second break ~ to 6 m. intervened through the Amanus range. This section was completed and opened during 1915. Thereafter line ran from Radjun to Muslimie, thence to Jerablus and Ras-el-Ain, from which place to Nisibin track was completed by Brit. prisoners, and carried towards Mosul. There was still (1919) a wide gap between Nisibin and Mosul, and also between Mosul and Tekrit, to which point beyond the British continued the Bagdad-Samara section in 1918. Work was begun at the E. end of the railways in 1912, when the Bagdad-Hl Helif section was commenced. It had been carried as far as Samara, 75 m., just before the outbreak of the war. The Bagdad Ry. was of considerable value to the Turks in their campaigns, though road transport was nece ary to negotiate the gap in the Taurus Mts. down to 1916. Thereafter they had a through ry. between the railhead opposite Constantinople to N. Me so pot am i a. Bagdad station was captured by the British on March 11, 1917, and the completed length to Samara in the following month. The whole, including the Taurus tunnel system, fell into Brit. hands at the armistice with Turkey.