PZ 4501/1939 'Diplomatic & Consular Expenditure: Statements showing expenditure incurred by the Govmt. of India on D. & C. services in Iran & Kuwait during 1936/37.' [‎19r] (37/234)

F, 10025/42.
riDIA OOTCBi,
CLAJRENCE HOUSE,
MATTHEW PARKER STREET,
S.W.l.
9 th January, 1942.
Doarr Woods,
Sy/ . _ I ^ do not 1 ® 0 W if your interest in Indian affairs covers the
vdiole of the ground or whether it is limited to matters conoeming
^eAe-ice, but ii tlie question abaat which I am now wilting does not
ai v/ithin your sphere perhaps you would he good enough to nass my
letter to the right quarter. ^
/ou probably knov/ t!iat ddplorr*atic and consular e^c^jenditure
arlsir^ in connection with Persia an# Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. is shared between
and India on what originally’- pur xDrted to be a fifty-fifty
oasis. Eadi Government mans and initially x«y» for certain
consulates and each is under an obligation to obtain the consent of
*he other to ary fresh expenditure of more than £100 a year on ary
oonsulate in its Jurisdiction. This is of course all very fine and
^ar^e in nomal tines, but it seems to me in present odrcisnstances
vh^it we might very u-ell consider raising this" limit to something a
little more reasonable. I have, for instance. Just had put before me
a long reference from a consul at one of the Foreign Office consulates
regarding an increase in the cost-of-living allowance for the
subordinate staff of the consulate. An elaborate Cctse h^.s been made
out which has been supported by Tehran to the Foreign Office who have
cut it to tne Treasury and to us for concurrence. We should normally
refer it to the Government of India and if they agreed to bear their
half-share we should report their concurrence to the Foreign Office,
who (if the Treasury also agreed) vrould then notify the consul that
his proposals had been approved. The total amount involved in all this
elaborate correspondence is some ,€230 a year which is to be divided
equally between the two Goverraaents. It does seem to me that in
rresent circunstances it is absurd to insist on this elaborate
procedure being gone through over matters of such tlining importance*
vdmt with delajrg in the post and congestion on the wires I think a
reasonable latitude might be conceded to men on the s ot, but the
Treasury and the Government of India night see objections to this. I
do not, hov/ever, think that the Government of India would be likely to
object ri the limit within v/hich the two Governments could sanction
exi^enditure without consulting each other were raised from £100 a year
oods, l>sq*, M.V.O.,
Treasury*
to/