‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎343r] (684/949)

£
1
[Received on tie 2 nd September 1902 , with UUet from the Secretary Pall,-. , r, ,
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. , No. 3 o, datei the 14 th 1 ^ 1903 ) h ^ tlaent ‘
Admiralty to 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. .
M. 0827 .
Sib,
I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to trans
mit to you herewith for the information of the Secretary of State for India Tn
Council, C 0 P 7 a letter which was addressed to the Foreign Office on the 21st
instant and of its enclosures, relative to the proposed establishment of telega
phic communication with Bunder Abbas. 01 lele S ra ’
24 th July 1903 . •) o -'hrO . 3 £ $
I am, etc.,
(Sd.) C. I. THOMAS.
21 st July 1903 .
Admiralty to Foreign Office.
M. 0827 .
Sir,
My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having had under their con-
sideration your letters of the 23 rd ultimo and 6th Instant, relative to the
proposal to establish telegraphic communication with Henjam and Bunder
Abbas, desire me to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretarv of
State, a copy of a letter, dated 22nd May last, No. 312 - 980 , which has been
Station^ 011 ^ SUb;|eCt fr0m ‘h® ^ Commat “ ier -a-Chief on the Last Indfes
2. My Lords concur in Sir C. Drury’s view that so far as Naval interests
are concerned, communication by telegraph with Heniam is of more imnort
ance than communication with Bunder Abbas; and they are also in agreement
with him in his suggestion that the question of the choice of site should be
deferred and considered in relation to the report on the hydrographic conditions
CT ‘n m U Q f whlch 1 , ma ,y s }“ T ort1 / be expected to be rendered by Commander
s^bseq^ntTo^spondenS. ^ ° £ ^
, rr 3 ' As regard the suggestion of the Director General of Mobilisation and
Military Intelligence that the necessary communication might be established
by means of wireless telegraphy, I am to state that this Department has no
information which would enable it to say whether a wireless telegraph instal
lation (and especially the batteries) would or would not be adversely aifected hv
the climatic conditions in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The initial cost of three wireless
telegraph stations at Eenjam, Ivishrn and Bunder Abbas, would be approxima
tely £1,000, but this estimate is exclusive of the charges for the transport and
erection of the apparatus, and also of the charges for the erection of any buil
dings which might be required. The cost of up-keep and maintenance cannot
be stated, as sufficient experience has not yet been gained to allow of an esti
mate being given ; but for such a short line, the cost would probably be more
than that incidental to the up-keep of a cable line. It would also be necessary
to pay the operators at a higher rate than that offered to ordinary telegraph-
ists.
4 . In any case, wireless telegraphy could not be regarded as a sure means
of communication in its present undeveloped state ; and as it is impossible to
send messages in both directions at the same time as in the case of a cable or land
line, the rate of telegraphing would be necessarily slow.
6. For these reasons Their Lordships are inclined to the opinion that
the extension of communication in the Gulf by means of wireless telegraphy
could not be depended on to yield satisfactory results. 3 1 ^
I am, etc.,
(Sd.) C. I. THOMAS.