NEW ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 310, 27 June 1912, Page 3

NEW ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA

■ VIA PERSIA. ( A SEVENTEEN DAYS' JOURNEY. London, May 3. If the proposed Indo-Persian railway is constructed, Bombay will be brought within seven days of London. From Bombay to Fremantle, say 10 days. Given the improvement we may reasonably expect in our steamship services, which are as bullock-waggons against the flying trans-Atlantic vessels, and it is possible that within the next ten years the Australian will travel to this country in a fortnight. We should be able to assume that if the railway goes to Bombay a special fast trans-Indian Ocean mail and passenger steamship service will be established between Freraanitle or Port Darwin and Bombay or Madras, and the rest will be done by the railways. That wouldd mean only about a week's < sea travel between Europe and Australia.' The idea is fascinating. No route in the world would be so various as that between London and Sydney, via Europe, Asia and Australia. THE PROPOSED ROUTE. ■Something approaching to a sensation has been caused in high diplomatic circles by Sir Edward Grey's announcement that he cannot see how England would be justified in opposing the proposed line. The route is (you want 1 a map by you to follow it) from the Russian port of Baku, on the Caspian. Sea, along the Persian shore to Resht,. thence by Ka&vin to Teheran, south to Ispahan, which lies on the southern border of Russia's sphere of influence in Persia, across the neutral zone to Kerman, on the edge of the British sphere of 'influence, thence south to ,Bunder Abkar, on the Persian Gulf, and east, keeping close to the sea coast of Persian and Baluchistan territory, into India. The Russians proposed running eastward further to the north, away from the sea. But England deems it well to 'have the" line'in tke range of the giina of her navy, and also to have a break of gauge, leSt there should come a day when we are not on such good terms with Russia. The re-Site covers 1800 milea, and the estimated cost is over £20,000,000. The Australian traveller will be" glad to hear that it "is hoped the line would cheapen travel to India by at least 20 per cent. Naturally the scheme is strongly criticised on the ground of India's., defences, and it may not come in our time at all. At present, however, it appears to have very bright prospects.