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Coll 7/37 'Afghanistan: sale of 25,000 1914 pattern rifles from War Office stocks and 7 million rounds of ammunition from Government of India stocks; negotiations with Afghan Government' [‎539r] (1080/1201)

The record is made up of 1 file (598 folios). It was created in 13 Jul 1935-28 Mar 1941. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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SALE 0? ARTS, AI.] UN IT ION AI^ID AlRGRiiFi 1
f rO THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.
In October 1933 the Afghan Government told
Sir R. Maconachie that they needed arms, ammunition
and aircraft. They asked whether H.M.G. would sell
them these for payment m instalments. The Cabinet
considered this question in 1 arch 1934 and decided
in principle that we should agree to the request if
the Government of India, on receiving information
regarding the Afghan requirements and the method of
payment, agreed to the sale and were able to supply
the munitions desired. Sir R. Maconachie was
instructed to enquire what the Afghan requirements
were and what basis of payment they proposed. For a
long time, however, the Afghans did not pursue the
question, as they were considering whether to re
arm their troops with .303 rifles (the bore used by
British troops) or with some other bore. But in
January 1933 they asked for 30,000 .303 rifles
and 24 aircraft, to be paid for in instalments.
2. The consideration of these requests has
been much delayed and rendered extremely difficult
by a claim which the Government of India have put
forward that 11.1 .G. should relieve them of some part
of their present responsibility for extraordinary
expenditure in respect of Afghanistan. Pending a
settlement of their claim, which is being discussed
with the Treasury, the Government of India have now
declined to enter into any further financial
commitments.
3. ''/hen, however, in July the Afghan
overnment drew attention to their request and
urged the desirability of a portion of the rifles
reaching/

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Content

This file is a continuation of Collection 7/36, reference IOR/L/PS/12/2203.It contains correspondence between the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of State for India, HM Minister at Kabul, the War Office, the Government of India Foreign and Political (later External Affairs) Department, and 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. Political Department.

Much of the early correspondence duplicates that found in IOR/L/PS/12/2203, and concerns the Afghan Government's request for an additional 25,000 rifles plus ammunition, debates over the division of liability between British and Indian revenues, and discussion of possible payment options.

The rest of the correspondence concerns arrangements for shipping the arms and ammunition, and is accompanied by delivery invoices and reports on the quality inspections conducted prior to shipping. Details of the procedures, including examples of examiners' marks, and a sketch of the packing crates used, can be found at folios 262, and 234-238.

Prior to sale, the War Office had undertaken to perform firing tests on all the rifles for an additional charge. These tests were not conducted, and the file contains correspondence between 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. and the War Office, discussing the best options for presenting this fact to the Afghan Government, options for conducting the tests or reducing the price of the order, and the potential damage that would be caused to Britain's reputation, and Anglo-Afghan relations.

The correspondence also concerns complaints by the Afghan Government that a number of rifles were damaged in transit or badly corroded. It documents the disagreement between the War Office, 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. and the Government of India over the provision of replacement rifles and parts, and contains details of the eventual arrangements and final agreement with the Afghan Government (found at folios 117-122).

The file includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are found at the end of the correspondence (folios 2-3).

Extent and format
1 file (598 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 599; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 7/37 'Afghanistan: sale of 25,000 1914 pattern rifles from War Office stocks and 7 million rounds of ammunition from Government of India stocks; negotiations with Afghan Government' [‎539r] (1080/1201), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2204, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036310622.0x000050> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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