Skip to item: of 574
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File VII/1. Telegraphic Connection to Kuwait.' [‎266v] (562/574)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (270 folios). It was created in 13 Aug 1904-7 Feb 1930. It was written in English, Arabic and Hindi. 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

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

V’
H
\ ;
20
'Conference would be induced to dispense with the bugbear of the pronounceable
word. He suggested that the international conferences were still dominated
by the tradition of the longhand telegraphist, painfully taking down a group
which he caught up by ear and recorded, whereas today practically all recording
and despatching was done automatically. Any such relaxation of arbitrary
rules would help to increase the purely commercial traffic and perhaps the friendly
D.L.T’S would follow.
He wished Mr. Simpson would write a book. He himself had a shelf a long as his
arm of books about the Indo-European delegraph Department, by Sir brederick
Goldsmid, Sir J. Bateman Champain, Sir Robert Murdoch Smith, and others.
'Pfjgre were stories in almost every book on Persia of the deeds of heroism of members
of the staff, which well deserved to be put together into a single volume, and would
make an epic. There was not a station from Bushire to Teheran which had not
half-a-dozen graves of men of the Department who were killed or had died in the
execution of their duty—Major Wells, Sergeants Codings (killed at Khanch Zinian)
Wittkugel (died of wounds with the S.P.R.) Hamilton, Hockey, Smith, and many
others : in their death, as in their life, they upheld the good name of their native
land ; than such men Persia had no truer friends.
Pandit Ahluvalia Gopalji said the audience had heard a very interesting and
instructive story of a wonderful adventure, with a lot of chronological data, but
the most noticeable point in the whole venture was that the thrills were British and
the money was Indian. He thought that the Indians should have more of the
thrills, and not only pay the money. The system was a very important nerve
sustaining Imperialism, and unfortunately India had to pay for it.
Sir Arnold Wilson asked permission to reply to the previous speaker. The
whole of the capital had been found by the Government of India, and when he
had last been in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and had pressed the Department to reduce rates,
they replied that they were not in a position to do so because the Government of
India insisted on getting a commercial return for the money invested ; the Govern
ment of India was receiving between 7 and 8 per cent. That was not a bad return
• on the money, seeing that money could be borrowed in India at less than 5 per cent ;
the Pandit was perhaps unaware that three out of four of the telegraph staff were
British Indian subjects.
Another point which Mr. Simpson had not brought out was that the reason
why the Government of India in i860 had undertaken the laying of the line was
that the first cable laid under Government guarantee by a commercial company
via the Red Sea and Aden to India had been a failure, and in the commercial
and political interests of India it was decided to make every effort to connect
India with Europe by land.
Mr. Robert a-Ababrelton, speaking as one of the oldest Fellows of the Royal
Society of Arts, said he was deeply indebted to the Society for bringing up discussions
on means of communication between the various parts of the British Empire.
He hoped the Secretary would continue to bring up such subjects for discussion.
Mr. C Slocombe said he had been attached to the Indo-European Telegraph
Department in London for a great number of years, having served under several
Directors-in-Chief. He was very pleased to hear the handsome tribute paid by the
present Director-in-Chief to his staff in the remote regions of Persia and the Persian

About this item

Content

The file contains correspondence related to the establishment of a wire connection between Kuwait and the Bushire-Fao cable. The correspondence is mainly about the site where the wireless telegraph station at Kuwait would be, the measurements, and the cost. In 1914 construction started, and in 1916 the wireless station opened at Kuwait. The file also contains correspondence about surveying work taking place around Kuwait, as well as correspondence about the recruitment of a surveyor to undertake the work.

The file includes an introductory booklet (folios 256-269) under the title, ‘The Indo-European Telegraph Department’, written by Maurice G Simpson, Director-in-Chief, Indo-European Telegraph Department, and published in 1928.

The main correspondence is between the following: the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Kuwait; the Foreign Department for the Government of India; the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and Consulate General, Bushire; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the Political Office, Basra; and the Basra Survey Party.

Extent and format
1 file (270 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 272; 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. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 1-271 and ff 3-80; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English, Arabic and Hindi in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'File VII/1. Telegraphic Connection to Kuwait.' [‎266v] (562/574), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/5/16, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100041783545.0x0000a3> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100041783545.0x0000a3">'File VII/1. Telegraphic Connection to Kuwait.' [&lrm;266v] (562/574)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100041783545.0x0000a3">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x0003ab/IOR_R_15_5_16_0562.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x0003ab/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image