§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether any arrangements have been made or are under consideration with the Persian Government regarding the construction of a railway across Persia from Mesopotamia to the Caspian Sea; and, if so, who is to be asked to find the necessary capital?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODOn January 10th the Persian Government granted to the Persian Railways Syndicate (Limited) an option for the construction and equipment of a railway from Khanikin to Tehran,viâ Kormanshah and Hamadan, with a branch to Enzeli on the Caspian Sea. The Persian Government have reserved the right to decide later whether the Railway is to be constructed as a Persian State line or whether a concession shall be granted to the Syndicate to 906W build the line with a Persian Government guarantee on such terms as may be necessary and practicable. If the railway is built as a Persian State line, the capital necessary for the undertaking would be raised by the issue of Persian Government bonds secured by the necessary guarantees.