I agree with the opinion expressed in the despatch under reference
that Lahore plus Amritsar together are of importance both
commercially and politically. The attitude of the Government of
India, however, remains one of opposition to normal consular
representation
[Page 260]
of any kind
except at the principal ports; this attitude will, of course, change
when India takes another step or two towards self government, and it
is possible that a change might be effected now should the United
States wish to request it.
In this connection there is enclosed a copy of a memorandum of a
conversation between Mills of this office and the Secretary of
External Affairs35 regarding the
attitude of the Government of India towards the establishment of a
consular section in the Mission.
[Enclosure]
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary
of Mission at New Delhi (Mills)
[New Delhi,] October 4,
1945.
During a call on Col. Burnett on October 4, 1945, I asked him if
he could tell me, for my information, the present situation with
regard to the establishment of consular representation in New
Delhi. I pointed out that two officers of the Mission, Mr.
Flood36 and
Miss Monroe,37
were accredited as consular officers at Calcutta, but that the
present arrangement appeared to me to result in much lost motion
and unnecessary red tape. As an example, I mentioned the
necessity when performing notarial services to send the
documents, together with rupees to cover the fees, to Calcutta
for completion resulting in considerable delay. A few days
before, I told him, Lt. General Wheeler38 was put to considerable
inconvenience with respect to Miss Wheeler, his daughter, who is
a civilian employee of the Army. General Wheeler wished to have
his daughter accompany him in his plane on his return to the
United States. Her passport, however, had expired and only a
consular office could renew it. In this case General Wheeler
sent a special courier by plane to Calcutta with his daughter’s
passport and extension forms so it could be extended, and the
Mission had to telephone Calcutta by long distance so the
Consulate General would be sure to be prepared rapidly to take
care of this service. I also pointed out the great inconvenience
to British and Indians residing in New Delhi who wished to
travel to the United States by air. If they were travelling in a
private capacity they could only be granted American visas by a
consular office and this often meant that they had to spend a
day in Karachi, for example, in order
[Page 261]
to obtain a visa, or make a special trip
from Delhi to one of the cities where there are consular offices
prior to embarking on their journey.
Col. Burnett stated that he quite realized that the absence of a
consular section in the Mission resulted in considerable extra
effort. He stated, however, that the policy of the Government of
India remained that of refusing to permit the establishment of
foreign consular officers at any interior point in India, the
one exception being the Consul Generals of Iran, Afghanistan and
Nepal who are established in New Delhi, this being provided for
by special treaty arrangements between India and the three
countries in question. When I asked why the Government of India
objected to foreign consuls at interior points he stated that
the policy dated back to Company days39 when there was a question of protection
and also of intervention in Indian political affairs by foreign
agents. He added that obviously if India advanced on the road to
self-government the policy would be changed. I asked whether the
policy of excluding foreign consuls from interior points was
brought up for reexamination from time to time. Col. Burnett
replied that he thought it was and asked whether the American
Mission wished to raise the question now so that there could be
a reexamination at this time. To this I replied that at the
moment I was merely making inquiry as to the situation on my own
initiative and without having been able to consult the
Commissioner: but that on the latter’s return I would tell him
of the conversation and he might consider it advisable to
request instructions from the Department of State.
I gathered the impression that if the Mission presented a request
to establish a consular section in New Delhi with vigor, it
might receive favorable consideration from the Government of
India. Upon return from his consultations in London in June 1945
the Viceroy40 spoke of a plan of the British
Government to accredit a diplomatic representative to the
Government of India. Moreover in September 1945 the Office of
the Chief Representative of the British Board of Trade (British
Trade Commissioner) moved his office from Calcutta to Delhi. In
view of this precedent it is believed that the Government of
India could not, with logic, continue to oppose the initiation
of trade promotion activities in the Delhi area by a consular
branch of the Mission, if one were established. This particular
aspect of the case, however, has not yet been discussed with the
Government of India.
[Page 262]
There are in British India nine cities at interior points having
a population of over 200,000, namely: Delhi, Lahore, Ahmedabad,
Lucknow, Amritsar, Poona, Cawnpore, Agra, and Nagpur, their
importance from the standpoint of population being in the order
listed. Lahore plus Amritsar, however, is much more important
than any of the others taken singly, although almost equalled in
importance by Delhi plus Agra. The Indian States41 are prohibited from carrying on relations
with any foreign countries except through the Crown
Representative (i.e. the Viceroy and the Political Department),
although there are at least three cities in the Indian States
which are of sufficient importance so that, except for this
situation, the establishment of consular offices might be
considered, namely Hyderabad, Bangalore and Benares.
I am of the opinion that at an early date the Department should
be requested to instruct the Mission to take up with the
Government of India the establishment of consular offices at
both Delhi and Lahore, the former to be a consular section of
the Mission.
