Page 235 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter XI. 200
made to tbo Director-Qenornl of the Post Offico by Mr. A. U. Faushawe
Postmaster General of Bombay.
167. Mr. Panshawo stated that it had been the policy of the Indian Post
Office, so far as he had to (jion practical expression to it, to treat the
Post Office in Turkish Arabia and also in the Persian Gulf as entirely
dependent on the Jiritish Political and Consular authorities, and that if
a degree of independence not quite consonant with this policy had been allowed
to grow up at liasrah, it bad been mainly duo to the fact that the Assistant
Political Agent there had dissociated himself from control of the post oflice.
It will have been noticed that similar views to those expressed by Mr. Plowdon
had already been given effect to by Mr. Panshawo in 18SL when disposing
of the proposal of the Assistant Political Agent at Maskat, for the revision
and transfer of the post office from the Assistant Political Agent’s office to
the charge of a separate postmaster, and these views were at the limo endorsed
by Mr. F. It. Hogg, the Director-General, and accepted by the Government
of India. Mr. Fanshawc now further stated that if the stall of ihe post offices
were formally attached by order of tbo Government of India to the office of
the Consul-General at Baghdad and of the Consul at Basrah there could he
no objection on the part of post office. Tins subordination to tho Consulate
at Baghdad was understood in the post office and it rested with tho Polilical
authorities to insist on closer subordination at Basrah.
168. Tho Postmaster Goneral considered that there was no necessity for the
formal technical reports of the Superintendent of Post Offices in the Persian
Gulf and Turkish Arabia to be sent t<> the Consul-General, but it was arranged
that a report dealing with points which called for attention locally at Basrah
and Baghdad should he submitted to the Consul-General. With regard to the
town post office at Basrah tho Postal authorities in India had already approved
of its being closed and the actual closing only awaited the Resident's decision
as to the most opportune time.
169. With reference to the carriage of local letters Mr. Paushawo wrote:—
,c On this point tliero is no doubt that tho present procedure, now that it has
been challenged, must bo given up. It provided a convenience for British
subjects and others, but has no special advantage to tbo Post office.” He
further reported that with tbo concurrence of tbo Consul-General tho iollewing
notice would be issued in Baghdad:—
I.—The Brilieh post ofiico only undertakes to carry letters between its own post 0fleers.
IT.—Lottcrs postal in the letter-box of tho British post office addressed toaKut-el-
Ahmnrah, Ahmnrnh or other Turkish town except Basrah will be transferred for disnos 1 to tho
Turkish post office.
HI,—Distribution of lottors will bo mado on the premises of the British post office.
Letters not applied for within 21 days will be treatod as unclaimed.
IV.—No portable lettor-box will bo carried on the Euphrates and Tigris Steam
Navigation Company’s steamers.
170. Tho free carriage of Turkish official correspondence had originally
been conceded hv Sir Arnold Kcmball aud its withdrawal was of course a matter
for diplomatic settlement. If it were decided that the privilege should be
withdrawn, tho llesident had merely to givo tho necessary intimation to the
Vali of Baghdad whilo tho post office would he guided by tho Resident's orders.
The carriage of local letters was not at the limo given up and reference to it
will be found again later on, but town delivery was stopped and the distribution
of letters confined to a “window delivery” at the post office in the Consulate.
173. Matters were again taken up at Constantinople in 1SS-1, and for the
better understanding of what follows, it
External A., November 1SS-I, Noi. 472—lS9(No.48G).
should be mentioned that at the Interna­
tional Postal Convention bold at Paris in 1S78 tbo Ottoman Delegate urged the
suppression of all foreign post offices in tho Turkish dominions, but tho ques­
tion was rejected as a diplomatic one not within tbo province of tbo Conference.
In April 1884 the Ottoman Minister for foreign Affairs submitted to tbo
British Embassy at Constantinople a memorandum drawn up by the Director-
General of Ottoman Posts and Telegraphs upon the subject of tho Baghdad and
Basrah postal service. Tho memorandum dealt with Turkey’s participation in
the Postal Convention of 187S, which it was urged cancelled all anterior

fCOlBPDl