Coll 5/15 (2) ‘Afghanistan: Violations of Afghan Frontier by, and landing in Afghanistan of British aircraft; Landing of Afghan aircraft in India’ [‎131r] (261/561)

.0,No.244/VI.
SECRET.
British Legation, Kabul.
6th March
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bear Caccia,
1 am writing to thank you for your secret -laj&gr
No.6193(i!j/G) dated the 20th November about air violations. I had
heard myself that we violated Swiss territory pretty often on our
bombing flights to Germany and North Italy and I realise that -
putting it mildly - nothing should be done to encourage the Afghans
to make a fuss about the not infrequent violations of their
territory along the Indian frontier. There seem to me however to
be two principal differences between
(a) Sweden/switzerland and
fb) Afghanistan.
In the first place the violations in Europe take place in the course
of active operations against the enemy. The Inaian violations of
Afghan territory take place on the other hand in an area remote - so
far - from a 1^1 ^ active operation s. K secondly, I have a feeling that
the adverse repercussions on the Government here are more serious
than in the case of either Switzerland or Sweden. However much the
Swiss or the Swedes may hate the air above their national territory
being violated by belligerent machines they must realise well
enough that there is nothing that their Governments can do aDout it
i and they are probably in their heart of hearts glad that the war
> has so far not touched them more closely.* Here violations oi Aighan
territory are liable to lead to all sorts of rumours and murmurings
e.g.
t/w **'* r '*'
*
I (a) that the Prime Minister is only a creature of the British
anyway and
(b) that the Government is so weak that it dare not protest
etc. etc *
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Arf
as far as 1 am concerned myself if I have let an occasional note of
impatience appear in my telegrams you should 1 think remember the
local facts. When one of these things happens I have to traipse
along to the Foreign Office sometimes at the end of a very preemptory
ft telephone message there to take a sort of pompous rating from aH
^Moliammaci Khan on the subject. 1 have often to tell the same Ali
Mohammad Khan the truth about certain other matters in no uncertain
terms, ne is therefore in his element when an aerial violation
comes along and thoroughly enjoys himself at my expense. I cannot
of course answer back because although no enquiries will have yet
taken place in inaia 1 know already in my bones that the Royal Air
Force must have been at it again, as I have suggested earlier in
this letter if the K.a.F. were coming and going from thousand bomber
raids when the violations occur 1 could defend them with a very
light heart indeed 1 When the violations occur just in practice
l| flights or what not it is not as X think you will agree quite so
1 easy. However i will do my best to discourage the Afghans from
faking these violations over seriously. 1 have done it in the past
in fact and will continue my efforts without of course mentioning
anything about either Switzerland or Sweden.
2 .
uaroe
1 am sending copies of this letter to Peel and
Yours sincerely,
Sd/~ F.V.Wylie.
H.A.Caccia, asquire
Foreign office,
London.
CaM.