THE BAGHDAD RAILWAY. 



of political thought to whose followers the word German 

 is as a thing accursed, and who are so blinded by their 

 Germanophobia that the mere suggestion of any enter- 

 prise undertaken in concert with that Power evokes 

 from them a chorus of hysterical denunciation. Never- 

 theless, when a decision has to be made, it must and will 

 be made without reference to the ephemeral jealousies 

 of prejudiced politicians. Let me at once admit that I 

 have no desire whatsoever to see any formal alliance 

 contracted with Germany, any more than with any other 

 Continental Power ; but to work in friendly co-operation 

 with the people of another nation in a mission of civilisa- 

 tion is a totally different thing from being bound by 

 the chains of a formal alliance, and to put unnecessary 

 obstacles in the way of any scheme which tends to 

 improve and bring the ameliorating influences of civilisa- 

 tion within reach of a people who are in sore need of 

 them is to renounce the high mission which it has ever 

 been the pride of England to uphold. Nor from a 

 material point of view would such an arrangement be 

 devoid of mutual benefit. Any scheme which tends to 

 defer the partition of Turkey — for it must be borne in 

 mind that I am discussing the line on the assumption 

 that it is an international enterprise — is to the ad- 

 vantage of Great Britain, since the integrity of Turkey, 

 Persia, and Afghanistan has been the dominating note 

 of her policy in the Near East, nor can any undertaking 

 which tends to quicken commerce be anything but 

 advantageous to the nation that holds the lion's share, 

 provided of course that preferential treatment to parti- 

 cular nations is disallowed. In addition, the participa- 

 tion of Enofland would secure for our own manufacturers 

 orders for a proportion of the requisite material for 

 construction. 



The original promoters of the scheme would, on the 



