Coll 29/40 'Seistan: sale of consulate land' [‎4r] (7/443)

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0 . No. 267 - 1/2 A.
// dear hay,
flJIW 1941
F, k!£9.60fr 1340.
Uu:owC
jondenoe endin^u^
rc h ijt Ilf \
m —iAtbn • I now 1
df>
-ill you please refer to
with your Demi-official letter N
1940 on the subject of the spring
enclose, in duplicate, a further note by Captain f&nay,
/ice Consul, 2&bul, on the subject of the past pq
vagaries of the Helmen river and its possible future
movements.
£• Tanay’a further raaes^chea into this interesting
but intricate question confirm the conolusion which he
had afjeady reached that a major change of the course of
this river is imminent and his concluaioxi seems rea sonuole •
prophecy, however, where the helmand ia concerned is
dangerous, as has been seon once already this year, ana in
s jcH & matter we must conclude trith Berm r a« that
the only thing ? e can learn from experience is to place
no reliance on it whatever". At the same tiraa it would be
interesting to know if on the data now given the Central
hoard of irrigation, can express ^ny opinion, however,
tentative, on the subject.
3. Iiether listan, -nd with it the town of <r,abul, will
remain m its present half decayed condition, or will become
either an arid waste or an isolated oasis cut off from sll
communication with the rest of Iran except by ferry, time
alone will show. The McMkhon award can Hardly be of£ more
than academic interest to the British Government and in any
case there are no practical steps that can usefully ue tuKen
in anticipation of any material change in the ^resent
situation. British interests in this area hove already
reached such a low ebb that aven the most fund mental changes
can h? ve no e arioua effect as for as they are concerned.
4* i am sending a copy of this letter with u copy of
the enclosure to Tehran under d.o. No, 139.
ite. j o r h • a • hay u. i. i*.,
External Affairs Dept;
Simla.
Yours sincerely,
3d/- .
THE HELMAND HSLTA 1940
The following is a sum;nary of all available evidence
bearing on the possibility of the Helmand changing its
delta in the near future. It is divided into J parts as
follows: -
Port I The history of the helmand delta.
P&rtll Onuses of past changes and their presence toaay
Pert 111 'hat course will the river taxce '
Part 17 The effects of a change on:-
"a) 2abul,
l‘W rtW 1 ”
ENGLOSORE
FOREIGN SECRETARY’S LETTER
No. DATE RECEIVED
140 -5- n 27-1-1941
Water Ai»urd.
Art I./
• . . . .