IOR/L/PS/12/2184

The file contains correspondence, minutes and memoranda regarding the policy of the British Government towards the sale of surplus war material to foreign countries, in light of the Cabinet decision to prohibit sales (29 October 1930) and the British Defence Rearmament Programme.

The India Office Political Department presented an argument that a number of Governments (Chinese Turkestan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Nepal, Tibet and Aden) should be exempt from the prohibition, due to political purposes arising out of the security of India, and broader political and military considerations. This is discussed in correspondence with the Foreign Office, the Secretary of State for India, the Government of India Foreign and Political Department, and the War Office.

Additional material includes:

• Cabinet minutes 27 (24), 42 (29), 47(29), 53 (29) and 13(30), regarding the sale of Government war materials to foreign countries and the Defence Rearmament Programme;
• a memorandum by the War Office regarding the supply of munitions to foreign countries, ff 94-96;
• a Foreign Office memorandum presented to the Committee of Imperial Defence Sub-Committee on Defence Policy and Requirements, regarding the best means of combining fulfilment of the defence rearmament programme with an increased ability to meet applications for arms from foreign governments (including details of requests being considered), ff 45-52;
• a copy of the Priority List of Foreign Countries for the Supply of War Material, circulated by the War Office, f 14.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 2).