LONDON TO BOMBAY IN A WEEK.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 February 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

LONDON TO BOMBAY IN A WEEK.

Reuter’s Agency has received from M. Zvegintseff, a member of the Duma, ar. authoritative statement regarding the Russian proposal to connect the railways of Russia and India by means of an international line through Persia. Inquiries made by Reuter s representative in various well-informed quarters in London show that there is no evidence of any political hostility to the proposal. In fact, there appears to be no doubt that over a year ago the question was brought before some of the leading responsible British statesmen, and met with a sympathetic reception. The matter now seems to be taking a definite shape; in Russia preparations are well advanced, and the necessary financial backing in that country is said to have been secured, while in England the matter is now about to form the subject of conversation in responsible quarters. M. Zvegmtseff states that a group of Russians interested in financial and railway enterprise has come to the conclusion that the time has arrived to unite the lir.es of the European railway system with that of India, thus forming an uninterrupted thoroughfare between Western Europe and Southern Asia, and inaugurating a system which would only be comparable to the Suez Canal, Trans-Siberian, and transAmerican lines. Such an enterprise could, however, be formed only as an international combination- of financial and commercial men. the leading interest should be Russian and English. The Russian promoters of the idea have, therefore, formed a Russian group, with the view of ultimate! developing it into an international company, to studv the question and afterwards to build the line.' This group represents seme of tho biggest banking, railway, and commercial interests in Russia, and the necessary Russian financial backing is assured. It is proposed to take from Baku, the most southern station on the Russian railway. system, a direct line through Persia, via Seistan, to Nushki, on the Anglo-Indian system. The main line would follow the shortest route, with branches to the Persian Gulf and to Teheran, if it is found that the diiect line would not go through the Persian canifal.

In the opinion of the group, this line must not be regarded as a tool for local political interests, and it is held that the line cannot be divided into sections controlled by different groups. It must exist as a who'e and the company must have an international character, not only as regards the financing of the enterprise, hut also as far as the board that will have to be, constituted is concerned. For that reason, through the interests of Russia, England, and Persia (the two first as owners of the two ends of the line and the latter as the owner of the territory on which the line develops) mu?t be predominant, yet French, German, and Belgian interests and the interests of any other group that may find it convenient to invest, will be most heartily welcomed. A 1600-MILE LINE. With regard to the Bagdad railway already under construction this scheme affords no menace whatever to that I* o ®- At the present rate of construction the latter cannot reach the region through which this Persian line pro-

poses to travel for a period of at least eight years, and there is no reason whatever why the Bagdad railway should not at that period profitably effect a junction with the International line now being considered. The capital required for the undertaking iS*very much less than has been stated. The length of line to be built to connect the existing Russian and Indian lines is only 1600 miles, and a rough survey which . has been made leads to the conclusion that for the turn of £18.300.000 thfe line could be completed. Adding to this the necessary rate of interest for the invested capital for four years (the period of construction) would necessitate the expenditure of mother £2.500.000. This would mean a total expenditure of £21,000,000, which Cwßussian group think quite sufficient nKlhe enterprise. As to the possible success of the enterprise from the purely financial standpoint, it is hoped that given the possibility of taking passengers and mails from London to Bombay in eight da.vs 6 hours at the very moderate estimated speed of 28 miles per hour, or with a speed of 33 miles in exactly reven days, and with a daily service, the transit traffic would be developed from its very first days, especially if it is remembered that the English traffic for the purpose of saving four and a naif days, maintain’s a snecial service from Calais to Brindisi. A through ticket from London to Bombay for passengers by the proposed system would cost about £4O for a seyen days, as against some £6O for a journey of double that period by the London-Brindisi route. In ronc-’usion, M. Zvegintseff said ’This is no we e scheme in the air. it has been shown that there are no pohtica. objections. Those concerned with the scheme in Russia have not proceeded until they have been assured that they would have no hindrance from the Imperial Government there. With regard to the next step, it may bo stated that both from a ■ o’itical and financial standpoint everything necessary has teen done in Russia. So far as the political aspect of the project is concerned we hope that no political objection is likely to he raised in London. Jt now remains, therefore, to ascertain the views of the financial groups on tins side of the Channel”