RAILWAY TO INDIA ACROSS PERSIA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 9

RAILWAY TO INDIA ACROSS PERSIA.

PROJECT CiUJICifED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. .LordCurzon called attention in the House of lords on July 15 io the project , of a Trans-Pel'iiac railway to India, ihe Government, he said, hau agreed in principle to tbe-cansh-uctiui) oi the line without the authority of Parliament. The line oi 2500 miles, was estimated to cost J;20,0U0,0U0, and ii-oiild nfiect the Esciiri-y of India, our Communications with the East and Anglo-Indian trade with Persia.

In his view the line was not wanted. The country by agreeing to it would surrender the control of the route to India by land. XoMiing that could be eaid iu favour of the railway would justify the country in risking the security of India. Lord Morley, in repiv, saici the picture drawn by Lord Curzon wa-. -o iiuagiaary and exaggerated that he was at a loss to know how, after the receat speech of Sir Edward Grey, Lord Gurzon could have taken up the at'itude he had. There was no doabt the scheme v.-ns promoted in Russia, but it had had no support from the British Government beyond the fact that the proposal was presented to them, and thev had consented to examine it. The-had committed the Government and Parliament to nothing except to this examination.

The whole question of the route of tha line and the terms of administration suu control were matters which Parliament and the couatry could consider more ef-ff-etiy«ly when they had a definite scheme before them. The Government had not dWffned, and did not desijtr, to shut out all foreign tnt?rpris« from' Persia. They bad no rijhtto do so. Lord Laininjtcn said there was no advantage to be trained by the proposed line, and there was every possible risk. Lord Incheape a«oci.itc-d himself with Lord Curzon. The funds at the disposal of the Government should be • spent on the railways of India, and nit wasted on a silly project of this description. I/Ord Crewe said it would be dangerous (6 introduce iiu absolute veto. If—it was a very big if—the money was forthcoming for the making of the railway we should be able to secure thai it should lie made in the way least detrimental to our interests, tfc bad no desire to spend a s-inzlo shilling of Indian money on the project. _^