Coll 29/45 'General reorganisation of consular posts' [‎229r] (464/674)

4
As regards Mohammerah, it is not necessary
to add much to what I have said therein. I con
sider it essentially a post that should be failed
from India, and it is a post in which no change
of status is possible or suggested. It is only a
Vice-Consulate, and it is held by an Assistant
Surgeon of the Indian Medical Department
certainly the most economical arrangement pos
sible. Speaking from memory, the clerical estab
lishment consists of one English clerk, one
Vernacular clerk, and a passport clerk who is
paid from passport fees and is so to speak, self-
supporting. This is clearly an aboslutely mini
mum establishment.
I will examine the Mohammerah budget on my
return, but it is clear I think from the above
that any economies that may be possible will be
of a very petty and insignificant nature.
As I have said in my previous letter however
I see no necessity for the retention of the post
S of Vice-Consul at Ahwaz, at any rate from the
" Indian point of view and I would recommend
that it should be abolished. This would effect a
material economy.
As regards Bunder Abbas, Minister has suggest
ed that it should be reduced to a Consular
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. or alternatively be held by an Honorary
Consul. This post, like Mohammerah, has also
been held by an Assistant Surgeon for many years
past, and Minister does not specify exactly what
he means by the suggestion to reduce its status
to a Consular Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . Is it proposed that the
Consular Agent should be an Indian, or a Euro
pean ? In the latter event there would be no
saving, and even in the former the saving would
be slight. The alternative proposal to appoint
an Honorary Consul is I think financially pre
ferable, but as I stated in my previous letter,
the only possible individual who could be appoint
ed is the Manager of the local branch of the
Imperial Bank of Persia. I doubt the Bank agree
ing, but I will sound the General Manager before
I come out, and if he agrees, the question might
be considered.
As regards the establishment, I cannot remem
ber exactly what the Bunder Abbas office consists
of, but at most it is two clerks in the English
office, and one in the vernacular. I will however
look into the budget on my return, and see if any
economies are possible. I do not think it would
be possible to abolish the post. We must have
gome one there to visa passports of persons going
to India; to assist the considerable local Hindu
Communitv and to take up with the local
Governor minor difficulties encountered by the
telegraph staffs at Jask, Charbar, Hen jam, etc.
To sum up.
* (i) 0 f the consular posts in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
only one, that of Vice-Consul, Ahwaz
is held by an officer of the Poltical
Department. The other two, Moham
merah and Bunder Abbas are both
held by Assistant Surgeons, with
minimum clerical establishments. A
very economical arrangement.
(ii) I think that the post of Vice-Consul, Ahwaz
might be abolished with no detriment
to Indian interests.
(iii) There is no proposal to reduce the status
of Mohammerah, and it is difficult to
conceive any more economical arrange
ment for filling it than the existing one.
(iv) If Bunder Abbas were reduced to a Con-
sular Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , presumably the incum
bent would be some one of more or
less the same type as the present
incumbent and there would be noy^v
appreciable saving in cost. The pro^
posal to appoint an Honorary Consul
has more to commend it, but the only
possible nominee is the Manager of
the Imperial Bank of Persia, and the
Bank usually decline to allow their
officials to take up consular work, but
I will ascertain from the General
Manager whether he would make an
exception in the present case, and
if so what allowances t would h »ve to
be given etc., I will also review the
establishment budget.
p g' Could a copy of this letter he made in
your office, and sent to Budiire for record,
as I have no facilities for typing here. (Sent
informally on 16-9-31.)
Demi-official letter from Major T. C. W,
Fowls, 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, No. 590-S. of 1931, dated the 8th
September 1931.
With reference to this office endorsement
No. 518-S. of 21st August 1931. I enclose here
with a copy of my demi-official letter No. 587-S.
of today’s date to Colonel Biscoe, together with
a copy of paragraph 8 of his letter of 21st August
referred to.
Demi-official letter from Major T. C. W.
Fowle, to Lieut.-Col. H. V. Biscoe, No. 587-
S., OF 1931, DATED THE 8TH SEPTEMBER 1931.
Please refer to the concluding sentence of
paragraph 8 of your letter of 21st August, on
consular districts in Persia, (a copy of which I
enclose).
2. It is not clear whether you refer to the
Consul-General’s district subsequent to the transfer
of the Residency—if it ever takes place—or to his
present district, the limits of which are under
consideration. If the latter, then I think you
would like to know that on the strength of the
statement in paragraph 2 of your despatch
No. 44-S., dated the 1st February 1931, to the
Government of India, (copy to Secretary of State
for India) to the effect that, on certain conditions,
you had no objection to the exclusion of Fars
from your district, I informed H. M. s Charge
d’Affaires, Tehran (copy to Secretary of State for
India), in paragraph 6 of my despatch No. 126/
517-S., dated the 21st August 1931, that as
Bushire would now be independent of the
Governor-General of Fars, the latter province could
presumably bs excluded from your exequatur.
3. In his despatch No. 440, dated the 18th
August 1931 to the Foreign Office, Charge
d’Affaires, Tehran, mentioned that he was only
awaiting this expression of my views before
furnishing his own on this last remaining diffi
culty. If, therefore, you now wish Fars to be
retained in your district you might like to write
to 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. so as to let them know before
the Foreign Office reach a final decision.
p. —x a m sending a copy of this to Wylie.