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Coll 5/4 ‘Afghanistan: Kabul-India Civil Air Service — Air Convention & the NWF prohibited area’ [‎301r] (608/914)

The record is made up of 1 volume (452 folios). It was created in 22 Jul 1930-13 Apr 1932. It was written in English and French. 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. .

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Department.
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1 pm®
;he terss
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5 000 3.2i;
principle - see passages marked A on pp.10, 17 and 19 of
the holes on P.5596/30; hut it is not clear that the
Air Ministry in their letter of 6th ho vernier had in view
anything hut a quite temporary interim service).
'The differences between the Minister and the
Government of India are substantial and important; there
is always the risk that we may be confronted with an
Afghan move to which it- will be desirable to respond
without delays and I suggest that we might telegraph
as in the draft - though it will be for consideration
whether the Secretary of State should give a lead as
suggested in the manuscript addition thereto. It is in
any case impossible to dispose of the Air Ministry letter
of 6th November until the matter has been ^considered in
the light of the Government of India’s comments on i .
Maconac hie ’ s memo randum. ’
Secretary , E.& Q. Department .
Am I correct in thinking that there is now genera,i
agreement that Article 3 of the International Air
Navigation Convention whether in its amended or in its
present form is no longer a serious practical obstacle to
a Kabul India Air service? The Government of India have
I think suggested that while the amended form if ratilied
by other signatories and finally adopted, would greatly
strengthen their position, they could in any case face
the'issues vith reasonable confidence? the discussions
on this question have been conducted in your Department,
and the precis below does not cover it.
cAy^aast* £Z*-*** .
/.f/Utfw 4r~
?.Tq.

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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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Coll 5/4 ‘Afghanistan: Kabul-India Civil Air Service — Air Convention & the NWF prohibited area’ [‎301r] (608/914), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/1949, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047830042.0x000009> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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