خارجي ٣٢٩/ ٤٣ "شحن الغذاء إلى دول الخليج الفارسي" [و‎‎٢‎٦‎٦] (٨١٣/٥٣١)

/
P. WW/03/ 6.
Dear Grist,*
TR lAStTHT GHAMBBRS,
Great George Street,
London, S«W»1.
25 th Novaaber,
19^3.
Supoly
*• f 4 . ■ * ■ -Qj. 1 ..
of Ceroals to Arab Sheikhdot aa
in t he Persian Gul f >
Would you kindly refer to DibcLin* a letter* of 14th July (ill. A 0.
15523/43) to Davidson and of 30th July (iS.A 0. 15^6^43) to mo and
subsequent correspondence on the above subject. In ry reply of 11th
Septeniber to Hind (K.A 0# 1660^43 of 27th August) X suggested that
the cost of a^y future subsidy found necessaiy, might be sliared between
the U.K. Government and the Government of India in the proportion 45s 55#
but as reported in Hind* s K.& 0.177V43 of 9th October, the Government
of India found thiameelves by political reasons unable to accept any
share of the subsidy* . . . * .
It aocordinf*ly became necocst ry to cxjncider tiie possibility of
the U. K. Government be ii,ng the wirole of m pp^voved aubaihy and in my
letter of 13th October to Gyres (copy to Nind) I asked the J orei^i
Office to red so certain questions bearing on tiie varying needs of the
Sheikhdoms and on the channel through which ary aubsi<ly ought to be
issued* These questions were duly raised .in India Office telegram
?Jo*24352 of 23rd October to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf,
of which a draft was sent with Hind's K* 18508/43 of 21st October*
In tiie final paragraph of zy letter of 11th Septenfcer to Kind,
the Foreign Office 'were aakcd to consider and report rdietlicz' tliey were
willing to bear and defend tlic U*K* share of any subsidy required.
/ Sherwood replied on 4th October (copy attached intimating that the
Foreign Office would Ijo vdlling to tratify to the importance a& an
act of imperial policy of providing food to the ^rab States and to
that srteni would defend a subsidy for the purpose* But, as you will
see, he felt it necessary to maice certain reservations and raised a
number of questions before agreeing to aoceot financial and accounting
/ responsibilities. In his letter of 19th November (copy attached)
Shervrood seta out in greater detail the difficulties in which the
Foreign Office ould be placed as a ^defender of the subsidy*
There seem to be three potential parents for this subsidy (viz*
Foreign Office, India Office and Ministry of War Transport) and it
is/
F.E.Grist, Esq., C.I.E.,
India Office*