Coll 28/90 ‘Persia. Visit of the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs to Afghanistan and India.’ [‎67r] (133/313)

and more particularly in your letter to Mr. Walton
of - December. I would* however* venture to urge a
suggestion which I have made in conversation* both with
the Foreign Office and Mr. Hugesepn* that action on the
lines proposed is exceedingly short-sighted from their
point of view. As the file points out they are very
anxious to exclude Indian personnel altogether* and they
have not been prepared in the past to admit Indians into
their consular service or the like. They do not fully
realise in the case of £ast Persia the nature and extent
of Indian commercial and other Interests* and the extent
to which familiarity with Indian languages* Indian
administration and the working of the Government of India
is necessary for their satisfactory disposal. There has
always seemed to me to be a very serious risk from the
Foreign Office point of view that the exclusion of Indian5'
from Kast Persia* followed by half a dozen cases in which
the Persian attitude was indefensible* might lead to some
political awkwardness here* and to a demand that Indian^
should be re-instated in these posts or that Indians
should be sent to Meshed* and possibly to Tehran* to
represent India. This is* of course* an argument which
it is difficult to pursue in official correspondence*
but I feel sure that there is some force in it.
As regards finance* I feel little doubt that the
Foreign Office are so anxious to establish themselves
without competition in Persia that they would be prepared
to make some financial sacrifice* though if they think
that the battle of the consuls is more than half won
already they will drive a harder bargain. I would make
no concession except on own terms.
As regards difficulties with the Persians over
individuals* these are familiar* and the Persians are
naturally anxious to eliminate officers who* by their
knowledge of the country and language and their political
training* are in a position to see rather too much. The
allegations of Hugesson are* however* unduly apprehensive