The New York herald., 1922-03-20
MESOPOTAMIA OIL
FREE FROM POWERS
No Legal Claims Exist to Any
District, Says Mahamoud
Pasha.
PRIVILEGES ARE SOUGHT
Standard Is Reported to Be
Seeking Concessions
in Persia.
PRIVILEGES ARE SOUGHT

Special Gable to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1929, by THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin, March 10.
THAT England or any other Power
possesses any lawful claim to the oil
wells OF Mesopotamia is erroneous"
said Mahamoud Pasha, former Turkish
Minister Of Works. in an interview with
the correspondent for THE New YORK
HERALD. Mahamoud Pasha was Off
cially in charge Of pre-war negotiations
between the Turkish Government and
British and German interests over oil
concessions in Mesopotaniia and is the
most competent person to speak for the
Turkish side. He resigned his post in
the Cabinet because he objected 20 his
countrys participation in the war;
1T is true he said, that some time
before Turkey entered the wsr an Anglo
German group applied to eur Govern
ment for a concession TO exploit the oil
region of Mosul in northern Mesopo-
tamia, for shipping rights on the Tigris
River and other privileges Before the
war British, Dutch and German inter
ests founded the so called Turkish
Petroleum Company, of which the Brit
ish held so per cent. of the shares and
the Dutch and Germans 20 per cent.
each.
"It was reported recently that at the
San Reno conference England ceded to
France all of Germany's shares. The
Turkish Petroleum Company applied for
the concession in 1914. Haiku Pasha.
then Turkish Ambassador in Berlin, was
sent to London to represent our Govern
nent in negotiations. The outbreak OF
the war. however, interrupted the con-
versations before any definite decision
was reached or concession granted.
No Lawful Claims.
Therefore neither British nor German
nor any other interests possess a law
full claim upon Mesopotamian oil ADJ
niral Mark Lambert Bristol, United
States High Commissioner in Constan-
tinople. could obtain full clarity on this
question by applying for examination Of
the records of the negotiations to which
! refer. They are in the archives of the
Departments of Works, Commerce and
Finance of the Turkish Government"
According to other Oriental states
men who are considered experts on
Mesopotamian oil. five years is the mini
mum time and $35,000, 900 the lowest
capital required for systematic exploita-
ton. The majority of oil pools are situ-
ated in the north and northeast Inn
portant wells exist in the west near the
Euphrates. but those in the south along
the Persian Gulf are of minor value.
The richest are in the Gayara fields
near the Tigris. OIL Is found in HAM
iffamali, Nimrud. Kerkuk, Kifri and
Turzhurmati. Kendishrin also is rich
in oil.
The quality Of oil in northern Mesopo-
iamia is equal il not superior to that of
the oil Of the. Baku area. The city Of
III, near the Euphrates, is another place
abundant in oil and bitumen. Accord
ing to THE NEW YonK HERALD corrc-
spondent's informant, false ideas prevail
concerning the possibilities Of exploita-
tlon
All wells in Mesopotamia are still
nothing more than primitive pits. Trans
port will encounter many difficulties, al
though the Tigris makes il possible TO
take oil down to the Persian gulf in
small tank steamships. Pipe lines would
be exposed to the whims of the native
iSedoulns, making an agreement with
them essential The Anglo-Persian OIL
company secured the safety of its pine
the chiefs Of the Persian fighting tribes
who live in that area. Great sums could
be saved If an agreement between Amer
lean and British oil interests could be
effected on this phase. In Persia
ihievcry is inevitable
VI the report is true that Standard
OH got concession from the Persian
Government for exploitation in northern
Persia, cooperation in this spot with
Anglo-Persian interests will be indis-
pcnsable, said Mahamoud Pasha. In
1901 British interests obtained the right
TO most OF the Persian oil wells. That
concession runs sixty years.
An agreement between the Russian and
British governments in 1907 gave Russia
tho right TO develop the fields IN the
northern part OF the country. Owing TO
political events, the Russian agreement
r. now nun and void. III the Standard
cil Company should develop the fields in !
northern Persia, IL will have TO depend
upon pipe lines running to tho Persian
-ulf. Many such lines are there Al
ready. belonging formerly to British in |
forests.