'File 27/4 DESIGNATION, STATUS, SALUTES OF POLITICAL OFFICERS IN THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎7r] (13/24)

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India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. 9
CONfflDigNTlAL. Whitehall,
Kxt. 1^62/47. London, S.W.l.
5th June, 1947*
L n
My dear Baxter, p
The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. has sent heme for consider
at ion a note on rririous ceremonial matters Tshich require to be
settled as a result of the transfer of the control of the
administration from the Government of India to
iSxcept for the question of the flags to be flown
no immediate decision seems to be required ana you may feel
that things can reimin as they are until the foreign Office
take ovfer from the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. in April of next year* You
may, however, like to have our views on the points raised
in Hay* s note and I set them down for convenience in this
le tter.
(A) Lesi»r;ation of Officer s
We agree with the Political rlecident that there is
no necessity to change the designation of any ol the officers
which have been in use for a long time and are well understood
in the area. The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Muscat is already H .M.
Consul as Yiell but we see no necessity for a change in the
description of the Political Agents at Bahrain and Kuwait.
(B) Precedence .
It se<d£B only necessary to regulate the comparative
precedence between the Political Officers and Officers in His
Majesty’s fighting services. As the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at
present ranks senior to all Flag, ‘General and Air Officers,
it Beams appropriate that, within his charge, he should continue
to enjoy this precedence and that the Political Agents should
rank with, but after, Captains, R.H., Colonels and Group Cap
tains in the R.A.F. and that the jianior officers should rank
with, but after, Lieutenant-Comnanders, Majors and Squadron-
laaders•
(C) Salut cs
I an inclined to think that the best solution is to
leave the number of guns as they are at present, and in any •
case not to reduce the Salutes accorded to the Political Agents
below the 11 guns which they new enjoy.
(D)
It aeons clearly desirable that the Political Residenl
should no longer fly the "Union viceroy" (which is, I believe,
a Union flag with the Star of India in the centre) but should
in future fly the Union flag with the Royal Arms in the centre
and the Political Agents the Union flag with the Tudor Crown.
(£) The Political Res ident's title of "Hobble ”
I expect you will feel that the time has now come to
drop this and we should not object if you so decide, but the
point about the use of the honorific in Arabic correspondence
should be brone in mind; this could perhaps be treated as a
local usage and left undisturbed.
(F) Uniform
The Political Resident’s suggestions seem to be
sensible, and we think that, at any rate until new incumbents
are appointed the Political Officers should continue to wear
the uniform they already possess.
C.W.Baxter £sq.,CMG, MC, Yours sincerely,
3d. £#P.DONALD30H .