ASIA MINOR RAILWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 197, 18 August 1906, Page 5

ASIA MINOR RAILWAYS.

GERMANY AND THE FORTE. BRITISH EXTENSION REFUSED. LOjSTDON. August 1". "The Times" regrets that the Turkish Government has refused to grant an extension to the British company bedding the concession for the Smyrna - -Vidin I railway. It adds that the claims of this ] British company to fair treatment are seemingly regarded as subordinate to ; those of the German company holding the concession for the Rflgdad railway. Thus the British company is not allowed to build further until it comes to terms with the promoters of the German scheme. [The prevailing influence of Germany over the Sultan in matters of railway construction in particular is, of course, a commonplace. The German concession of the Bagdad railway was not only to extend the Anatolian line from Konia to Adana, Mosal, Bagdad and Buwra, but to ' construct many branch lines and an extension on the Persian Gulf. 01 the main system the first, section of 125 miles between Konia and Eregli was opened in October, 1904. The Beirut-Damascus line has since then been extended to Harusand Hama, and permission has been obtained (conditionally) to continue it to Aleppo; while the Haifa railway has been emended to Deraa to join the Mecca railway, Haifa being projected as the future -port for pilgrim traffic. The Hamidie-Hejaz, or Damascus-Mecca railway, is designed to run parallel to the French DamascusMezrib line, which will thus be left in the air, but probably the latter will be purchased by the Government, and will form part of the Mecca line. Of this, about 340 miles were open for traffic last September, this length being exclusive, of the French section. The Sultan has sanctioned the construction of a railway from Mecca to Jeddah as part of the Hamidie-Hejaz line, and from Medawara a line will be laid to Akaba. The British line referred to would run from Smyrna to Aidin and thence into Asia Minor.]-