File 3136/1914 Pt 5 ‘German War. Turkey. Hodeida consuls incident’ [5r] (18/336)
The record is made up of 1 volume (164 folios). It was created in 9 Nov 1914-16 Apr 1917. 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. .
Transcription
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Copy.
D#0*No. 341-D. Poreign and Political Department,
Delhi, the 19th February 1917.
My dear Stewart,
I am sorry for not answering your letter of the 17th January,
regarding the services of the various Consuls at Aden sooner, but
the matter has required rather careful examination* I am afraid
there are serious difficulties in the way of accepting your
recommendations in this matter.
In the first place, there are practically no precedents for the
grant of Indian Titles to members of Foreign Consular stafis. Ic
is true that the Persian Consul General was made a n.C.k.G. at tne
time of the King f s
Durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
, but I can find no instance of the Star
of India or the Indian limp ire having been conferred on any Foreign
Consul. In the second place, there might be international objec
tions to the proposal to grant a title to Dr* Oe^chi, Pie Icalian
Consul at Aden, at the present time. It must be remembered that
Italian ambitions have been, and are, now directed towards the Bed
Sea and the Arabian coast, and that if we marked out the Italian
Consul at Aden for a signal distinction this might excite the
suspicion of the Italian Government and possibly injure rather
than benefit Dr. Ce&eliis position in the eyes Ox mis own
Government.
Again, as regards the French Consul, monsieur Adolphe hies, we
feel that it might be invidious to decorate him when we have not
yet decorated the Governor General of the French Indies ox tue
Administrator of Chandernagore, both of whom have afforded us
valuable co-operation of late.
Indeed, His Excellency the Viceroy thinks that the whole
question of rewarding Foreign Consuls in any concrete fashion must
stand over till the end of the war. In the mean time, however, if
1 y ou think that it would he a good thing that the services of the
gentlemen you mention should he officially recognised hy the
Government of India and an expression of their appreciation he
conveyed, will you please send me d brief official letter
suggesting this I can then send you an official letter in reply
expressing
About this item
- Content
Papers relating to the incarceration by Turkish authorities of the British Vice-Consul at Hodeida (also spelt Hodeidah) [Al-Ḥudaydah], George Alexander Richardson, Richardson’s wife, Mary Richardson, and the French Vice-Consul at Hodeida, Monsieur Roux, in the wake of the destruction of a Turkish cargo vessel in Hodeida harbour by the crew of HMS Minto , on 4 November 1914. The file includes:
- Papers detailing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the three prisoners. Papers refer to the Italian Government’s protest to the Turkish Government over the incident in Hodeida, in which the Italian Consulate was raided by Turkish officers, and the efforts of the Italian Vice-Consulate at Hodeida, Cavaliere Gino Cecchi, to secure the release of the prisoners.
- Richardson’s account of his capture, incarceration, and subsequent release on 6 February 1915 (ff 62-86).
- Mary Richardson’s own account of events (ff 43-58).
- A draft note from Arthur Hirtzel 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. , addressed to the Secretary of State, conceding that HMS Minto had been instructed to ‘proceed up the Red Sea & destroy Turkish steamers and dhows’, and that HMS Minto had set fire to the Turkish vessel before the proclamation of war with Turkey was formally signed (f 60).
Other subjects covered in the file include:
- Prior to Richardson’s incarceration, discussion between the Foreign Office and Government of India over the entrustment of British Indian interests at Hodeida to the port’s Italian Vice-Consul (ff, 151-154, ff 159-162).
- After Richardson’s release, the Italian Vice-Consul’s assumption of British consular affairs at Hodeida, and the approval of his work amongst Government officials and members of the Indian merchant community at Hodeida (ff 18-37).
- Correspondence amongst British officials dated 1916 and 1917, enquiring after the prospect of formally recognising the work done by foreign consular officials at Aden, particularly that of the Italian Vice-Consul at Hodeida (ff 2-14).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (164 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
The subject 3136 (German War) consists of 6 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/462-467. The volumes are divided into 6 parts, with each part comprising one volume. The part numbers are: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. There is no part 3.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 162; 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.
The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/465
- Title
- File 3136/1914 Pt 5 ‘German War. Turkey. Hodeida consuls incident’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:16v, 18r:22v, 24r:30v, 33r:42v, 59r:98v, 102r:132r, 133r:162v, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence