Correspondence and Papers on Persia [‎25r] (50/107)

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P. S .—You will readily understand what an enormous benefit a cheap
line of telegraph to Europe would be, not only to India but to the Australian
Colonies and to the great mercantile centres in the Far East, such as Singa
pore, Hongkong, and the treaty ports of China.
but I would ask you to look at the way the Afghan Boundary Commission
was received and treated only a few years ago, and that Europeans, e. g\,
Captain Griesbach and Mr. Pyne have since been employed in the service
of the Amir at Kabul itself—the former as geologist, and the latter as prac
tical engineer.
1 do not believe that English officers employed in Southern Afghanistan,
with the sanction and support of the Amir and his lieutenants, would be sub
jected to greater danger or fanaticism than officers employed in the Punjab
Frontier when we first occupied that portion of the country. lo such a
scheme as I am advocating there would naturally be determined opposition
by the Cable Companies, but l maintain there is room for all, and not only
this, but that the heavily pressed Indian Government should avail itself of
every opportunity of increasing its revenue, and this, an overland line ol
telegraph should do.
Cheapen rates judiciously, whether postal, railway, or telegraph, and you
get an increased traffic and an increased revenue. I have not been able in the
very short space of time at my disposal to go into details of cost of construc
tion and maintenance, nor have I been able to lay my hands on calculations
made some years ago, but my experience of telegraph work in Eastern
countries, and my personal knowledge of Beluchistan and Afghanistan, con
vince me of the possibility of carrying out successfully such an undertaking.
I am writing to-night hurriedly and without maps or data to which I
can refer, and I must therefore ask you to forgive the incompleteness of the
memorandum you asked for.
I send an extra copy of my pamphlet and would refer you to Lieutenant-
General Sir Andrew Clarke, R.E., who, in a letter dated the 26th December
1885, said “ You will see from the enclosed that I agree with you and that I
advocated the line as far back as 1876. (Sir Andrew Clarke was at that
time Public Works Minister in India.) It was rejected on the score of cost,
and that diplomacy which would restore to us the affection and alliance of
Slier Ali would cost nothing. We know what it did cost and where was the
alliance and affection.”
In conclusion, let me wish you every success in your endeavour to
reduce postal and telegraph rates.
Yours sincerelv,
9/ 7
CHAS. E. PITMAN,
Superintendent of Government Telegraphs,
Bombay Division.