Coll 29/6 'Mohammerah and Khorramshahr: vice consulate and consulate appointments' [‎66r] (134/470)

What is now wanted is instructions so clear that neither Prior
nor any successor of his will ever pipe up on such an occasion
in future. This clinging to the shreds of an authority which
may have existed when the Consul-General at Bushire was also
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. at Bushire should be abandoned. It is sad
to think of a man of the eminence of a First-Class
Resident fingering a dog f s eared file of 1926 to see whether it
does not perhaps entitle him to protest to the Embassy about
Khorramshahr - and coming to a wrong decision. Even our grief
at the extinction of the Venetian Republic would diminish if we
found a superannuated Doge contracting a questionable marriage
with the sea with a 7/oolworth ring.
4* To protect my successors from annoyance and
Prior’s successors from placing themselves in a false position
through following his unreliable precedents I hereby repudiate
anything that any predecessor of mine ever wrote or said, in
1926 or any other year, about the relationship between Bushire
and Khorramshahr. I consider that instructions (which need not
refer to this letter) should be issued to Bushire and Khorramshahr
that their connection is restricted to the functions set forth
below. H.M. Consul-General Bushire is responsible for;-
fl) Supervision of the accounts of the Khorramshahr Consulate.
(2) Arrangements for all subordinate staff of the Khorramshahr
Consulate.
(3) Recommendations to the Government of India as to cnanges
in the career staff at Khorramshahr, in accordance
with the practice by which India consult 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. on the
staffing of Indian Political posts in Persia,
and the Government of India, having made their
selection, ask H.M. Embassy where there is any
objection to the proposed appointments.
There is no objection to visits to Khorramshahr by
H.M. Consul-General at Bushire, but if Khorramshahr is again placed
under Ahwaz, as I think it should be, H.M. Consul-General at Bushire
should pay H.M. Consul-General at Ahwaz the courtesy of giving him
notice and expressing the hope that there is no objection.
5. This difficulty would never have arisen if the plan
to transfer the seat of 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. to Bahrain had been
carried out. This transfer should be effected without further delay,
but I shall deal v/ith that question separately, and officially.
6. I shall also be sending a despatch about the necessity
to unite all consular affairs in Khuzistan under H.M. Consul-General
at Ahwaz by giving him the supervision (except in the matter of
accounts ana staff) over H.M. Consulates at Khorramshahr.
7. I am sending copies of this letter, marked "Personal
and Confidential" to Caroe and Prior.