Coll 1/25 'Aden Protectorate boundaries; inclusion of the Hadhramaut' [‎39r] (77/96)

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(b) War Period.
13. Shortly after the outbreak of the war the Government of India assumed control
of political relations with the Yemen and Asir as well as with the Protectorate ;
Kamaran was added to the civil administration and its safety became an additional
military responsibility.
14. In 1917 it was decided to transfer the control of political relations (i.e.
prim aril v relations with the ^emen and Asir, but the arrangement was applied also
to political relations with the Protectorate) to the Foreign Office and military control
(defence and operations) to the War Office. This arrangement was made to secure
co-ordination of political action in the Middle East and unity of control and
co-ordination of the military effort there. Local administration remained unchanged.
15. The resulting position was unsatisfactory. No clear line could be drawn
between defence and administration or between political and administrative affairs.
The Resident was responsible to four separate higher authorities on the subjects
coming under his control. Questions of finance and incidence of expenditure
outlined in the ensuing paragraph were in an untenable position.
16. Prior to 1900 the wdiole charge for the administration, civil and military, was
borne by Indian revenues. In that year the Welby Commission recorded that, in
equity, one half of the military charges should be met by the United Kingdom. In
pursuance of this recommendation a contribution of T/3,000 was made b\ tlie
Imperial Government in addition to their bearing half the capital outlay on special
defence works. The administrative reorganisation of 1917 referred to in para. 14
above was unaccompanied by any readjustment of financial responsibility. Indian
revenues continued to bear the charge for internal administration and the cost of the
pre-w'ar strength of the garrison at current rates (subject to the contribution of
T72,000;, while the cost of additional forces maintained at Aden was shared equally
between India and His Majesty’s Government.
(c) 1919-26.
17. In 1921 a Committee, appointed by the Cabinet under the chairmanship of
Sir James Masterton-Smith, presented a report, which resulted in the formation oi a
Middle East Department within the Colonial Office, and wffiich recommended the
transfer of the administration of Aden to the Colonial Office, with, however, no
proposals in regard to expenditure.
18. This recommendation w r as approved by the Cabinet, subject to the approal
of the Government of India. The Government of India, after considering the
Committee’s recommendations, were prepared to agree to the transfer of Aden to
the Imperial Government and to make a contribution of £100,000 per annum from
Indian revenues, subject to His Majesty’s Government undertaking responsibility ioi
all charges connected with Aden. The Secretary of State for the Colonies, however,
suggested an Indian contribution of £500,000, but ultimately a Colonial Office proposal
that India should pay Rs. 50 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees a year was officially telegraphed to the Government
of India, this amount to be open to reconsideration after five years. The Government
of India were unable to accept this proposal. \ arious discussions subsequently took
place on alternative proposals, but it was not found possible to arrive at a solution. In
the meantime Indian sentiment, at first indifferent to the question, definitely hardened
against the relinquishment of Aden. Finally, the basis of a settlement, wffiicli, whilst
meeting the essential needs of Imperial policy and strategy, would not be unacceptable
to Indian opinion, w r as arrived at and submitted to the Cabinet in a joint memorandum
by the Secretaries of State for the Colonies, War and India (C.P. 414/26).
Cabinet Decision of December 1926.
19. The Memorandum w r as considered by the Cabinet at a ineetiug held on the
16th December 1926, wdien, after considerable discussion, the Cabinet agreed : —
“ (a) To approve the proposals of the Secretaries of State for the Colonies, U ar
and India, in regard to the responsibility of the administration of Aden, the
principal features of which are set forth in paragraphs 11, 12 and 16 of
C.P. 414 (26) in the following terms :—
“ ‘ 11. ... that a single chief authority should be appointed in
control at Aden by the Imperial Government, with the concurrence of the
* The contribution by His Majesty's Government was nominally £100,000, but of this amount
£28,000 was a contribution towards the cost of 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. .