Coll 5/4 ‘Afghanistan: Kabul-India Civil Air Service — Air Convention & the NWF prohibited area’ [‎104r] (212/914)

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Content

The volume is concerned with proposals for the development of air services to, from, and across Afghanistan. In particular, proposals from the German firm Junkers for an air service from Persia, and Russian proposals for an air bridge across Afghanistan, for the purpose of delivering mail between India and Europe. It also includes discussion as to the feasibility and desirability of a counter British service from India to Afghanistan; this includes examination of who could provide this service, proposed service frequency, the types of aircraft that could be used, and expense estimates. The file also contains comparisons between the proposed Russian air bridge and existing Imperial Airways services between the United Kingdom (UK) and India to judge the commercial viability of the new service. To a lesser extent, the file also contains details of a gift of rifles and ammunition from the Government of India to the Government of Afghanistan.

The focus of discussion is Britain's desire to limit the encroachment of foreign (i.e. non British) companies towards the frontier of her Indian Empire; in particular British officials are concerned with limiting the development of services by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The financial problems of the Government of India also factor into this discussion, as an issue preventing the provision of a British service. The file therefore contains a number of notes — or aide memoirs — of a number of meetings held by HM Minister at Kabul with either the King of Afghanistan (Mohammad Nadir Shah) or his Foreign Minister. The volume also contains some discussion of the legal status of the North West Frontier under the International Air Convention, and the extent the Government of India can maintain its status as a prohibited area following the advent of civil air services.

The French content consists of a short extract on folio 128 from the International Postal Convention. The volume also contains an extract from Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1929 on folios 421-2, an extract from The Times on folio 346, and a copy of Imperial Airway's winter 1931-2 timetable on folios 76-7.

The main correspondents are as follows: HM Minister at Kabul (Richard Roy Maconachie), officials of the Air Ministry, officials 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. , officials of the General Post Office, and representatives of the Foreign Department of the Government of India.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format

1 volume (452 folios)

Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 454; 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.

Written in

English and French in Latin script

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