خارجي ٣٢٩/ ٤٣ "شحن الغذاء إلى دول الخليج الفارسي" [و‎‎٣‎١‎٦] (٨١٣/٦٣١)

OUTWARD TELEGRAM
30 JO'
(if in any case the communication of the contents of this document
to any person outside Government Service is authorised, it must he
paraphrased.) /
E. & 0. Department '
S. & 0. 15042/43 SECRET ^
CYPHER TELEGRAIvI
fWoui ^ toJIb Lr\
Prom Secretary of State
10 Government of India, External Affairs Department.
Repeated to Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and
H.M. Ambassador, Cairo.
Despatched 26th June, 1943. 10.30 hours.
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frASp-L
/ • m .
14186 IMPORTANT
Addressed by Secretary of State for India to Government of
India, External Affairs Department. Repeated to Political
Resident in Persian Gulf and Cairo for Middle East Supply Centre.
Your telegram 4748 of 14th June, Cereals for Sheikhdoms,
View point adopted by you and by Political Resident is one with
wnich I sympathise fully, but I doubt whether any approach could
usefully be made to H.M.G. at present. Claim for substitute
cereals to be supplied at not more than the cost of Indian
wheat appears to be based on the argument that it is manifestly
inequitable that Sheikhdoms should be deprived of wheat at
reasonable coco when Ea.stern Saudi Arabia is apparently receiving
more than minimum requirements and is not being required to make
do with a proportion of barley and millet. This argument appears
to possess considerable force in regard to supplies put into
Sheikhdoms during past months, but I assume that it is now too
late to pursue matter so far as such supplies are concerned
because they have presumably already been distributed. You will
doubtless inform me if my assumption is incorrect.
2. I observe^ from M.E.S.C. telegram MIDES 54 that programme for
supply of Iraqi cereals has been suspended temporarily, so that
any representations made to H.M.G. can apparently only relate to
procedure to be adopted if and when programme is resumed. Such
resumption is, however, dependent on your ability or other-wise
^supply of whole of Sheikhdoms cereal requirements
before present stocks require to be replenished (stocks are
apparently adequate until early August). Validity of argument
mentioned in proceeding paragraph may also be affected by pressure
wnich has been applied to Saudi authorities to induce them to
accept substitute cereals. If this pressure should succeed I
fear that in the absence of any new factor it would be difficult
to secure any financial relief for Sheikhdoms, although I would
of course be prepared to urge reduction of Saudi supplies to
figure more nearly approaching previous quota level.
3. In view of these comments I trust you will agree that it
would be premature to take up matter with H.M.G, on present
hypothetical b^sis. Best solution of difficulty would obviously
be resumption of cerea.1 supxolies from India, and I hope that you
will be able to give favourable decision on this point very shortly.
4 , I should be gla.d if earliest possible news of your decision as,
if you are unable to resume supplies, immediate steps willi have
to be taken to arrange them from some source at present
undetermined. Please therefore telegraph decision in advance
of your views on other points raised.