IOR/L/PS/12/2187

The file contains correspondence regarding the supply of machinery and raw materials to the Afghan Government, intended for the manufacture of ammunition. The principal correspondents are: the Foreign Office; the India Office Political Department; the Board of Trade Imports and Exports Licensing Section; HM Minister at Kabul; and the Afghan Legation to Rome.

The following topics are discussed throughout the correspondence:

• the establishment of a nitro-glycerine and cordite factory by the Afghan Government, with financial backing from Russia;
• a request from the Afghan Government for British labour to work in the factory;
• a request from the Deutsch-Afghanische Compagnie AG, to be put in contact with British machinery manufacturers;
• requests for information on the arrangements for supplying steel to the Afghan Government, received from the United Steel Companies Limited, and Thomas Firth and John Brown Limited;
• a request for information on the supply of machinery for the Afghan Powder Factory, received from Messrs Adair, Dutt and Company Limited;
• the importation from Italy of spare parts for artillery.

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