مجموعة ٢٨ /٦٧ "بلاد فارس: تقارير سنوية، ١٩٣٢-" [ظ‎‎١‎٧‎٥] (٦٤٤/٣٥٠)

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the terminus of the railway to Dalbandin in order to reduce the heavy loss at
which the line was now worked. His Majesty’s Minister, whose comments were
invited, suggested in reply that the withdrawal of the railhead, following so
closely on the imposition of a land customs regime, might create an unfavourable
atmosphere for the forthcoming negotiations for a new Indo-lranian Commercial
Treaty. He was therefore inclined to advocate that the railhead should be allowed
to remain where it was pending commercial negotiations, in which the question
of the railway might perhaps be used as a valuable bargaining counter.
(i) Zahidan Vice-Consulate.
85. His Majesty’s consul-general for Khorassan suggested officially at the
beginning of the year that His Majesty’s vice-consulate at Zahidan should be
established on a permanent basis. It had been established at the end of the war
on a temporary footing only, and sanction for its continued existence had to be
obtained annually from His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and
the Government of India. His Majesty’s Legation supported this proposal both
because it was felt that Zahidan was becoming an increasingly important centre
and because British interests there were considerable.
86. These views were accepted by the Government of India and by His
Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, and it was accordingly definitely
decided during the course of the year to establish the vice-consulate on a
permanent basis.
(j) Consulate Doctors.
87. At the end of 1935, after an objection from the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs that it was wrong in principle for a consular officer to exercise a second
profession, the Iranian Government were informed that it was proposed
henceforth to appoint both a vice-consul and a doctor to Zabul, where hitherto
one man had combined both jobs. In return, the Iranian Government agreed
that, as the necessary new arrangements could not be made immediately, the
existing system should be allowed to continue in force for another three months
(see paragraph 368 of the annual report for 1935).
88. When this three-months period was about to expire, His Majesty’s
Legation, on the instructions of the Government of India, informed the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs that, while the matter was under urgent consideration, it had
not yet proved possible to make definite arrangements for the future. The
Iranian Government were accordingly asked to prolong the period of grace
during which the doctor could still be allowed to perform the functions of vice-
consul. During the previous months, however, the Department of Health had
taken urgent steps to establish an Iranian-run hospital in Zabul, and they
accordingly now refused their consent to the prolongation of the existing dual
arrangement, which they had only sanctioned in the first instance for the reason
that the sudden closure of the consulate hospital would have caused great hardship
in Zabul in the absence of other medical facilities.
89. In these circumstances, it was accordingly decided to terminate Colonel
Pyper’s appointment as vice-consul and to renew his application for a medical
licence, it being felt that it was important to establish his status as a doctor, and
that the withdrawal of his consular rank would not seriously impede his ability
to supervise the work of the vice-consulate, pending other arrangements. The
Iranian Government at once took note of the termination of his consular appoint
ment, but did not reply until the middle of July, four months later, with regard
to his medical licence. They then stated that, as three Government physicians
were now established in Zabul, and as a surgeon would shortly be proceeding
there, there was no need for any other doctor there, and the Department of
Health accordingly regretted that Colonel Pyper could not be given a licence.
90. This note caused a most unfortunate impression. It was then eight
months since the Iranian Government had been informed that it was proposed
to appoint both a vice-consul and a doctor to Zabul in future, and during that
period they had not merely never demurred to the proposed arrangement, but had
repeatedly explained that their sole objection was to the exercise of a second
profession by an officer enjoying consular privileges. They had thus tacitly
allowed the Government of India and His Majesty’s Government in the United