File 2626/1905 ‘Persia:- Military Attaché at Meshed’ [‎19v] (43/532)

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As regards the future, it will he seen that the ordinary charges
connected with the maintenance of the post are estimated by the Govern
ment of India at Ks. 31,953 -= 2.130L, when the incumbent holds the
rank of major.
In your letter of 30th September 1909, Sir E. Grey expressed the
opinion that the expenditure contemplated was neither in accordance
with precedent nor with the requirements of the post of Military Attache,
and that the proposal to charge one-half to the Imperial Exchequer was
subject to grave and insuperable objection.
Lord Morley ventures to hope that, on further consideration, Sir E.
Grey will mitigate the severity of that judgment. The question of pre
cedent has been dealt with by the Government of India. As regards the
requirements of the post, it will be seen that the bulk of the expenditure
is due not to the personal requirements of the officer, but to the nature
of his duties. These duties involve the employment of an elaborate and
necessarily somewhat expensive organisation, without which information
can neither be obtained nor corroborated, and the Government of India
are of opinion that any material reduction can only be effected at the
expense of general efficiency. In this opinion Lord Morley concurs,
with the exception that he thinks that the duties of the post could be
adequately discharged by an officer with the rank of captain. By this
reduction there would be a saving of about 190b per annum, and the
maximum cost might be put roughly at 2,000b per annum.
During the six years that have passed since the appointment was
first proposed, the question of its maintenance has been examined from
every point of view, with the result that the Army Council, the Govern
ment of India, two Commanders-in-Chief in India, and three distinguished
officials who have held the posts of Minister or Charge d’Affaires at
Tehran, have been unanimous in recommending it—so long, at all
events, as there are in Central Asia no British Consular officers from
whom the same information might be obtained, though probably at
greater expense. This recommendation was accepted in principle by
Sir E. Grey in Foreign Office letter to the Treasury above quoted.
Lord Morley fully shares Sir E. Grey’s desire for a substantial
reduction in the cost of the Indian Consular establishments in Persia,
and the question has for some time been under examination by the
Government of India. His Lordship has reason to believe that their
proposals will include a reduction of about Rs. 40,000 (2,666b) in the
cost of the Meshed Consulate after providing for the Native Agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. at
Turbat-i-Haidari, where, as Sir E. Grey is aware, the Consulate has been
abolished. In view of this important fact, and of the considerations
urged above, Lord Morley earnestly trusts that Sir E. Grey will now
move the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, to sanction, as a per
manent measure, the payment of half the cost of the appointment of
Military Attache, subject to a maximum of 2,000b per annum.
I am, &c.,
The Under Secretary of State, Colin G. Campbell.
Foreign Office.
Enclosure No. 2.
Foreign Office to 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. .
Sir,
No. 32,081.
Foreign Office,
12th October 1910.
I am directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd ultimo on the subject
of the Military Attache or Intelligence Officer at Meshed, suggesting
that the post should now be made permanent and that the cost°of the
officer’s salary and of the contingent expenses should be borne eouallv
by the Indian and Imperial Exchequers. 1 7