ملف ١٩١٦/٣٨٣٩ جزء ١ "بلاد فارس: - مقدار النفقات - مسألة مراجعة اتفاقية سنة ١٩٠٠" [ظ‎‎٣‎٠‎٠] (٨٨٠/٦١٣)

1
m Sir Arthur thinks, on the other Inu’.d, that the plan proposed by the Govem-
' ineut of India in regard to division ot diplomatic and consular expenditure
would urobablv be more acceptable to tbe liKliau Legislature as giviug the
Government of India practical control over the consulates nearest to India
(thouoh political expenditure is not votable, yet the legislative Assembly
will, no doubt, be much interested in it), and it would have the admini
strative advantage of rendering previous assent of the Imperial Government
in the case of expenditure on these consulates unnecessary, an advantage to
which the Political Secretary naturally attaches considerable importance.
(8) \n alternative to the present method of staffing the various consulates in
Persia would be to place the whole of them under the Poreign Office, who
would no doubt, man them from the cheaper Levant Service. The resulting
economy would be purchased at the cost of two drawbacks :—(l) Where it, is
a question of handling tribes, as is the case on the East side of Persia,
officers of the Indian Political Department would probably be better qualified
l)v training and experience to carry out the duties successfully; (2) if India
is to continue to contribute to the diplomatic and consular expenditure in
Persia Indian opinion would be ill content to see the withdrawal from India
of all the posts at present administered by Indian officers.
(9) Sir 1 Arthur agreed with me that whatever new arrangements are made we
^ ^ may confidently expect the Treasury to raise the question of revising the
arrano-em cuts made in regard to China and Siam as a result of the recommen
dations of the Welby Commission. Sir Arthur considered that this ought not
to deter us from making any desirable rearrangement in respect of Persia,
but he Miogested that I should investigate the position in regard to China
and Siam, especially with reference to what might happen if the Imperial
Government were to ask us to apply to them a similar division of expenditure
to that which the Government of India are proposing in the case of Persia.
Although diplomatic and consular expenditure in China has greatly risen
since 1900, and India, through Burma and Tibet, has come into closer
geographical touch with China, the opium trade with China, which was the
chief reason for India’s contribution towards the diplomatic and consular
expenditure in that country, has p ractical]^ ceased to exist. Owing to the
increasing naval importance of thtTPacilic, Australia, New Zealand and the
Straits Settlements are now perhaps more interested in China than India is.
There are no special Indian interests in Siam, although its vest side marc es
with Burma, so long as there is no interference from France on the east or
north. I promised also to look into the question of British and Indian tiaue
with Persia.
II.
2. The following are the results of my investigations of the position in regard to
ll) British and Indian trade with Persia.
(2) Ditto ditto Siam.
(3) Ditto ditto China.
(4) Possible effect of a revision of our arrangements with the Ireasorv i
regard to China, if a division of cost on the lines proposed 3} e
Government of India in regard to Persia were applied to China.
(5) Ditto, ditto, Siam.
(!) Trade with Persia.
India.
Average.
(1st April 1897 to 31st A larch 1900
- . 1st April 1911 to 31st March 1914
11st Apiil 1919 to 31st March 1922
( 1st April 1897 to 31st March 1900
-{ 1st April 1911 to 31st A larch 1914
( 1st April 1919 to 31st Alarch 1922
( 1st April 1897 to 31st Alarch 1900
- 1st April 1911 to 31st Alarch 1914
( 1st April 1919 to 31st Afarch 1922
The number of lakhs in each case represents amount of re exports under heads Tp^^Ugturns-
Twist and Yarn, Sugar and Tea. Yo other figures are shown in the Indian ia
Imports into India
Exports from India -
Re-exports® from India
Lakhs.
Laldo.
2,56
85
2,66
89
6,95
2,32
1,81
60
2 58
84
10,03
3,34
1,87
62
1,52
51
4,H
1,37
Cotton Piece G»*