The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-28
PERSIAN RAILROAD
 IS CONTEMPLATE

St. Petersburg. January 2L-(Special)-t The real reason for the amazing action ot Russia in Persia is explained by a meet ing of fnanciers soon to be held in Paris. This meeting also explains why England was so eomplaisant towards Russia in the ordering of MT. Sinister and the other Americans from the Persian service
 The Paris meeting is to arrange for the financing of a railroad through Persia by which it is announced "250,OOO,O00 people
 in Europe will be linked up with 400, 0900O0 people of India and Indo- China, and com munication with Australia and New Zea- land will be considerably shortened ;" The Russian banks were prepared to find not only the money for the preliminary stages but also if required, the bulk of the en- tire capital. For political reasons, how ever, It was thought well that the pro- Ject should be internationally financed and the time had come when the situation Tn Persia had to be so cleared that the plans for the railroad would not be en- dangered, so 1t was necessary to get rid of Shuster. Already the Russian commit tee is in possession of a nearly complete survey of more than 300 miles from As tara to Teheran. From there to Guetlar Con the Perso- Baluch fronter) the length of the line is some 1200 miles As re- gards political considerations, both Great Britain and Russia expressed their agree ment in principle to the scheme some considerable time ago, and since then the hussian government has given definite promises of support to it. Great Britain on her part, also expressed her readiness to join with Russia on the understand ing that reference should first be made to the Indian government. whose views t was desirable to ascertain with regard to the line and the proposed route
 An important modification of the route IS suggested. The original idea was the construction of a direct line from Balu the most southern station on the Russian railway system, through Persia via Sies- tan to Nushi on the Anglo-Indan system but the Indian government has made it a condition that the line shall join the In- dian railways at Narachi, and not at Nushki, and that subject to the results of the survey 1t shall enter the British sphere at Bunder Abbas instead of Ker- man.
 Another stipulation is that British and Indian trade along the railway shall be guaranteed equality of treatment Certain other suggestions have also been made by the British government for the con- struction of branch lines, three of which being in the neutral sphere shall. if Is proposed be internationalized and for another line from Bunder Abbas or Char bar to Herman, which would be purely a British project.
 The Indian government has entrusted an engineer with the task of enquiring into the construction of a railway from Nara chi 10 the Persian gulf. No direct com munication has yet been made to the Per- san government, but informal steps have been taken through tha Russioy ,,o;.i.... at Teheran and through the Persian min isters at St. Petersburg and Paris. and as soon as the syndicate has been formed Persia will be asked for permission to make the necessary further surveys and concession will be applied. for. And it will be given not on terms thoroughly satisfactory to the syndicate