مجموعة ٥/٤٣ "مرافق الطيران الليلي في الخليج الفارسي فيما يتعلق ببرنامج البريد الجوي الإمبراطوري" [و‎‎١‎٩] (١٥٧/٣٧)

The Treasury representatives enquired whether
these proposals would not he likely to cause difficulties
with the other Governments who were being asked for
a subsidy in addition to a postal payment*
The Post Office representative pointed out that,
uhless the countries concerned were actually making some
contribution, other than the postal payment, towards the
cost of maintaining the air service, their admission to
the scheme would, under the Postal Union Convention, be
illegal.
Indian 5 C With regard to the Treasury enquiry, the In dia Office
difficulty ,represe ntati ve thought that the Government of India might
raise difficulties on the grounds that the terms offered
to Iraq and Egypt * both non-British states - were more
favourable than those offered to India, They might feel
that it should be possible to reduce India’s contribution
by obtaining subsidy payments from Iraq and Egypt,
Moreover, the inclusion of Iraq in the scheme was not
contemplated when the Government of India were originally
informed of the proposals. Her inclusion might mean
that India would not be able to levy surcharges on air
mails from India to Iraq and to this extent the amount
allowed in the estimates of the scheme as receipts from
surcharges on air mails for foreign countries would be reduced.
On the subsidy payments point the Air Ministry
represe n tatives explained that, as the distance between
England and Egypt was relatively short, it had not been
considered that sufficient advantage would accrue to Egypt
under the scheme to justify her being asked for a subsidy s
In the case of Iraq, it was also considered inadvisable
to ask for a subsidy payment in view of the large
expenditure which the Iraqi Government is to be asked to
incur on improvement of the ground organization there*,
Account was also taken in this connection of the competitioh
from Dutch and French air services which operate to and
across Iraq. Even if Egypt and Palestine did not
participate in the scheme, the aircraft carrying capacity
which had been budgeted for would still have to be provided
and financial provision made therefor; whilst it was hoped
to bring in Iraq as a part compensation for the possible failure
to secure full participation in the scheme from all the
countries invited or to be invited, cf« Malta.
It was appreciated that because, inter alia, of the
possible reduction of India's anticipated receipts from
surcharges on foreign outgoing mails, resulting from the
proposed inclusion of Iraq in the scheme, the Government
of India would have to be informed of the present proposals.
It was agreed, therefore, that unless these
questions had already been discussed with the authorities
in India by the United Kingdom Mission which had recently
visited that country, the Government of India should be
informed by telegraph of the proposed inclusion of Iraq
in the scheme and asked whether they had any observations
to oxTer.