CAB129-35 — Page 362

CONFIDENTIAL

C.P. (49) 149

11th July, 1949

Printed for the Cabinet. July 1949

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Page 362

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CABINET

INTERCHANGE OF STAFF BETWEEN FOREIGN SERVICE AND COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS OFFICE

MEMORANDUM BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS

On 16th May (C.M. (49) 35th Conclusions, Minute 3) the Cabinet invited us to consider what arrangements might be made for an interchange of staff between our two Departments.

Two years ago it was agreed between us that past practice in the matter of interchange of staff for overseas posts should be regularised, and that there should be a policy of reciprocal interchange of staff at the First Secretary and Second Secretary level. As a result of this agreement, two officers of the Foreign Service are already serving in United Kingdom High Commissioners' Offices, one at Ottawa and one at Canberra; similarly, two officers of the Commonwealth Relations Office are serving in Foreign Office posts abroad, one in the United Kingdom Embassy at Washington and one with the Delegation to the United Nations at New York.

Arrangements of this nature which, while providing for an interchange of experience between the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office, also provide admirable training for the officers interchanged, will continue in the future. It is to be recognised, however, that the availability of suitable personnel places a practical limitation on the extent to which the policy can be

extended.

Apart altogether from this, somewhat special arrangements exist in India and Pakistan, which provide that officers dealing with Asiatic problems have a first-hand knowledge of Eastern conditions. In these countries, a considerable number of officers of the Foreign Service are serving, either in the United Kingdom High Commissioners' Offices at New Delhi and Karachi, or at the out- stations, e.g., Calcutta, Bombay and Lahore. The United Kingdom High Commissioner in Pakistan (Sir L. Grafftey-Smith) and the Deputy High Commissioner in India (Mr. F. K. Roberts) are senior officers of the Foreign Service. One officer of the Commonwealth Relations Office (Mr. G. E. Crombie) is serving in a Foreign Service post in this area, as Counsellor at Rangoon.

These arrangements in India and Pakistan are admittedly of a transitional character, due to the circumstances in which the United Kingdom High Commissioners' posts in India and Pakistan were established, and in particular to the uncertainty until recently as to the future status of these two Common- wealth countries. The position must clearly be reviewed as a matter both of general policy and of staffing policy. On the former, the Foreign Office take the view that their requirements are better met by posting officers to capitals than by posting them to out-stations. On the latter, while each Department is faced at the present time with staff shortages, both Departments recognise that the services in India and Pakistan must be effectively maintained, and that consequently changes must be gradual.

It has already been agreed that a Mission should visit India and Pakistan in the autumn to inspect all United Kingdom High Commissioners' establish- ments and thegqubond 26lt with in the paragraphs immediaage 3620fa016

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fallagebeбconsidered by that Mission, which will ealed 3y3the Deputy Under- Secretary of State of the Commonwealth Relations Office (Sir Cecil Syers) and will include a Foreign Service Inspector. Before the Mission leaves, it is intended to discuss the problems that arise with the United Kingdom High Commissioner in India (Sir Archibald Nye) who is visiting London for discussions in July.

In short, the policy which the Cabinet had in mind is already in being and measures are in hand to ensure that its application shall be carried out in the most effective manner.

The Prime Minister has been informed of these arrangements and has expressed his agreement with the views expressed in this memorandum.

E. B.

11th July, 1949.

P. J. N.-B.