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Coll 7/4 'Afghanistan: purchase of arms from Great Britain' [‎91r] (186/1146)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (568 folios). It was created in 2 Jan 1930-19 Feb 1935. It was written in English. 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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Fti-c COPY
SECRET
LJC/ESt (111 groups)
DECTPHER 0 F TELEGRAM
(COPIES
CIRCULATED)
From His Britannic Majesty 5 s Minister at KatuX to
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, India
Office.
Dated Kabul through Peshawar, 19th January, 1934^^
Received 19th January, 1934, 4 0 15 pom 0
XXX
Katodon 2 0
Z* On 15th January, Foreign Minister asked whether I
had received reply from Imperial Chemicala as the matter was
urgent 0
3. Since I understand that it is regarded as important
that British firms should retain the supplying of munitions to the
Afghan Government I should like to give him answer of some kind,
but it is perhaps undesirable that Imperial Chemicals should enter
into competition with German rival, especially If the latter is
fictitiouso
4. Following alternative replies are suggested for
consideration;~
(a) that the matter should be pursued if desired by the
Afghan Minister, London, with Imperial- Chemicals; or
(b) that the latter, while ready to discuss the
possibility of reducing prices on large orders, are not prepared to
offer bonus in the form of weapons.
5. I do not know if Article 17C of the Treaty of
YersaiXles would have practical bearing on this easec
Maconachie 11,

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Content

The volume contains correspondence regarding the purchase by the Afghan Government of arms, ammunition and explosives from a number of sources, including the War Office and British and French firms.

It includes communications between British officials (HM Minister in Kabul and the Foreign Office) and the Afghan Foreign Ministry and Afghan legations to Paris and London, regarding: requests to purchase and transport materials; negotiations over customs dues and transport costs; requests for the recommendation of arms firms; and the quality of materials supplied by private companies.

Folios 552-567 consist of a memo titled 'Applications for the Export of Arms and Munitions to Afghanistan', providing details of the procedures to be followed, and a copy of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty (1921).

The file also contains correspondence between British and Indian officials (the War Office, the Board of Trade, 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. Political Department, the Government of India Political Department, the Collector of Customs at Karachi) and a number of British firms, regarding: informal requests for permission to sell or transport munitions to the Afghan Government; applications for export licences; concerns over the quality and source of munitions; and details of alleged attempts by a German firm to supply arms, in possible violation of Article 170 of the Treaty of Versailles. The firms include: Messrs A Fleming; Gray, Dawes & Company; Mackinnon Mackenzie & Company; Imperial Chemical Industries Limited; and Machine Tools (India) Limited. The correspondence also includes information on the involvement of the French firm L'Office Générale de l'Air, and its dealings with Messrs A Fleming.

The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 4-5).

Extent and format
1 volume (568 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 570; 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 in Latin script
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Coll 7/4 'Afghanistan: purchase of arms from Great Britain' [‎91r] (186/1146), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2173, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056050955.0x0000bb> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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