'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [‎44r] (87/204)

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COPY OF TELEGRAM.
SECRET .
India
iO.- bar Office,
6th October 1917.
5October. You will have observed how the demands of
. orce 1/0 for Inla nd Water Transport have been steadily on-the
increase . They have now reached so high a figure esLc? 9 1^ n*
regards Marino Ratings that we anticipate the greatest difficulty
in maintaining them and meeting further possible expansion In t yj
future. As regards Marine Ratings it must be remembered that
only do Calcutta, Bombay and other Indian Ports meet Indian local
to h^ r T ea Shlppi ? g requirements but shipowners are also pressine
to have Lascars A term used by the British officials to describe non-European sailors employed on East India Company ships. made available for service on winter ^o+wt i .
and other similar routes foreshadowing more extensive demands for 10
as cars in Western waters owing to the alleged shortage British
crews„ Indian bovernment understands that ships are already b!ins
detained m Bombay for lack of crews and in many cases have to^
te sea proportion of crew consisting of untrained men. We are ^v
no means satisfied that establishment of the Inland Water Transport
Mesopotamia are based on any scientific principles and that n nv P
economy is practised as regards personnel in general or that^Marine
Ratings are not employed when other forms of labour would be equally
uaeful nor do we feel confident that there is that co-ordination 7
amongst ohe /arious labour employing directorates which would result
m economy of resources both in personnel and material. I have no
hiiSelf 4^ e fhi^ lng ^ ° heCk ° Ver Maudefs demand s whilst the latter
0/1235/23/187 Aug.10, Equally disclaims. We are as you are aware
naing a smu.ll ^ommission to enquire into and advise on the more
economaca! utilization of railv/ay .personnel and are taking advantage
CP opp ? r, ' tu ? i1: 'Y to this commission three members of
experience in River Transport. The commission thus enlarged will
make a general review of the whole question of Railway and River
ransportation and advise whether by any system of co-ordination
between directorates demands for personnel and material can be red
uced. A copy of their report would of course be forwarded to you.
Addressed Secretary, War Office, repeated General, Baghdad.
C .1 .G .S .
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M.R.l. DyG.M.A.
M.R.2.C. 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.