84 THE BAGHDAD RAILWAY. 



CHAPTEH VIII. 



THE BAGHDAD RAILWAY. 



Railway projects in the past — The success of Germany — Lack of interest 

 of British Government in the past — English concessions pass to other 

 countries — The prophecy of the deputation of 1857 — The German 

 commission of 1899 — The concession of 1902 — Proposed route of the 

 line — Branch lines — Description of the country through which the line 

 will pass — The Taurus barrier — Possibilities of Asia Minor — Law- 

 lessness of Mesopotamia — Important towns all lie to the north — The 

 right bank of the Tigris preferred to the left — Centres of pilgrimage 

 — Points to be remembered in criticising the line — The financial 

 prospect — International complications — Germanophobia in England 

 — The line as an alternative route for the Indian mails — The con- 

 ditions upon which Great Britain must insist as essential to her 

 co-operation — The position of Great Britain with regard to the rail- 

 way — The state of affairs at the present time. 



If there is much that is wearisome in a journey 

 through the Asiatic dominions of the Sultan, there 

 is also much that is of considerable interest, as I hope 

 may have been made clear by a perusal of the fore- 

 going chapters ; but the problem of supreme interest 

 to myself, and I have no doubt to many others as well, 

 which is brought under consideration in the course of a 

 journey such as I have already described, in that its 

 solution is likely to have a vital effect for good or 

 for evil upon the fortunes of Great Britain in Asia, 

 has yet to be dealt with : and since a desire to ac- 

 quaint myself as fully as possible with the possi- 



