The Daily Mail of Thursday published a very interesting message
from its special correspondent at Constantinople,' who had had an interview with Rifaat Pasha, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Rifest Pasha said
The people of Turkey have a strong feeling of friendship for Britain. This is sometimes denied, but it is true. In the past Great Britain has several times given active proofs of her friendship to Turkey, and at the establishment of the new regime evinced a cordial interest in our fortunes. We shall never forget these things. England may be assured that in the discussion of the questions pending between us we shall do our best to remove every possibility of misunderstanding. . . The Bagdad Railway being on Turkish territory, we regard ourselves as the country chiefly interested; but we recognise that England has commercial interests in the region of the Persian Gulf. We stud.' do our best to meet and safeguard those interests. We wish to engage British capital in the Bagdad Railway-- French capital too—but in taking our present steps we have regard to the fact that England's commercial interests there are much greater than those of France. The Bagdad Railway Company has a concession authorising the construction of the line right down to the Gulf, but it will be possible to make an arrange..
meat with the compapy.” .
It is most satisfactory and important to know that Turkey will enter into the negotiations in this spirit, and she may be sure that it will be reciprocated.
Previous page
