THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11508, 14 February 1903, Page 7

THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.

DEAL WITH A GERMAN COMPANY. United Prtea Association—By Eleotrio Telegraph—Copyright. {Received α-ebruary l«£th, 9.13 a.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE, February 12. The convention between -the Porte x ond the German Company for the construction of the -whole railway line from Konia to Bagdad awaits the Saltan's Irade. The Bagdad railway, which if completed trill make an overland journey to India possible, and greatly reduce the time spent in transit, has a close connection with PanGerman plans for German expansion, by which Germany is to create a new India in Ana MinorIn 1892 the Anatolian Railway Company obtained a concession from the Sultan on condition that within eight years from 1895 they continued their system from Angora to Kauarkh, while the Sultan would have the right to demand Kβ further extension through Mosul to Bagdad. Subsequently, the Germane discovered that thie line traversed a difficult country, and consequently they fought shy of the undertaking, until in 1899 an English syndicate tendered for an alternative route from Konia through Aleppo and the Euphrates Valiey to Bagdad. Then the Germane woke up, and asserted their rights, and the Sultan yielded to pressure from the Kaiser. The route sow decided upon is on amalgamation of the English proposal with the original German route. It passes from Konia to the neighbourhood of Aleppo, and thence through Moeul on the Tigris and Bagdad h> Kowedt. When 'the. line ie complete it will be necessary to link up Koweit with Karachi either by a railway or a fart line of steamers plying in the Persian Gulf. Then the journey to India will be somewhat ac folio we: — London to Constantinople ... 72 hours Constantinople to Konia ... 20 hoars Konia to Koweib ... ... 35 houn Koweit to Karachi ... ... 60 noon That comes to approximately eight days, instead of the present fourteen, and eni tirely obvi*tw tffy wearisome ta journey