Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎126v] (252/290)

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be better spent on the Indian side of the Afghanistan frontier. He
personally concurred in the \ iceroy’s telegram of the 19th March.
The Government of India proposed to replace Malleson s force by
consular escorts at Meshed and Seistan. Would not this be enough ?
The Chairman remarked that when he was in India Meshed
was always recognised as an Indian interest, and so was Seistan. The
Resident at Meshed and the political officers in Seistan were invari
ably officers of the Indian Political Department. Ihe idea that
India should now wash her hands of Eastern Persia appeared to him
to be inconsistent with the attitude of the Government of India
before the war.
Mr. Montagu remarked that he was not supporting the idea that
India should wash her hands of Eastern Persia. His contention rvas
merely that she should share only in political expenditure in Persia,
and that from her point of view military expenditure would be more
advantageously incurred on her own side of the Afghan frontier.
He would like to add that he was finding it increasingly difficult to
persuade his Council—with wffiom the ultimate decision rested—
to continue to bear their share even of diplomatic expenditure in
Persia.
The Chairman asked why the Government of India should not
be confronted with their own earlier telegram of the 21st February,
in which they pointed out the objections to a complete withdrawal
from Meshed ?
Sir Arthur Hirtzel explained that this telegram had been sent
under the impression that the Cabinet had arrived at a definite
decision to withdraw. The 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. view was that this decision
must stand unless it were reversed.
The Chairman did not accept this view. He observed that at
that meeting the Cabinet had been inclined to arrive at a number of
conclusions on the score of economy, which would have resulted,
among other things, in our virtual withdrawal from Mesopotamia.
He had agreed to evacuate South Persia, but as far as’Meshed was
concerned he had induced them to say that the Government of India
must first be consulted.
Sir Arthur Hirtzel said that this point had been brought up
when the minutes were circulated and that the Prime Minister had
not taken this view.
The Chairman did not feel himself bound by a subsequent in
terpretation of the minutes in which he had not personally concurred.
Sir William Duke had undertaken at the last meeting of the
Conference to ascertain the views of the Government of India.
Sir Arthur Hirtzel observed that perhaps it had not been made
quite clear at the last meeting that the Viceroy’s views had already
been invited. When the reply came the 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. had felt that
the bottom was knocked out of their case.
The Chairman did not understand why this should have been
so, and suggested that the 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. should make further repre
sentations to the Government of India.
Mr. Montagu remarked that he was more in agreement with
the Viceroy than the Chairman appeared to be. He thought it would
be sufficient to leave the consular escorts proposed by the Government
of India.
General Radcliffe pointed out that this would result in the dis
appearance of the expensive lines of communication.
Replying to question by the Chairman, Sir Arthur Hirtzel said
that there were small detachments at Kuchan and Bajgiran. At the