construction is undertaken the question of the incidence of cost as between the various governments concerned should be taken up with the India Office and Foreign Office. A copy of the last letter received from the treasury is appended to this memorandum. I would strongly deprecate any proposal to delay the preparation of the air route from Cairo to Karachi for either of the reasons suggested by the Treasury. It is not yet practicable to determine the permanent establishment of the Royal Air Force in India or the Middle East; and though the question of the incidence of cost as between the British and Indian Government in respect of the maintenance of Royal Air Force establishment in India has been under discussion with the India Office, some considerable time must still pass before a definite basis of contribution can be arrived at. The cabinet will appreciate that in view of the present political situation in the Middle East the presence of a strong mobile air force at points of strategic importance is essential. It is no less essential that the Royal Air Force should be in a position to effect at any moment a rapid concentration for purposes of an aerial offensive or to dispatch reinforcements drawn from all available reserves at the shortest notice to one or other of the disturbed areas. This can only be effected by the establishment of a well-defined route with stations at intervals where there are adequate facilities for refuelling and for effecting repairs. To this end the Air Ministry propose to organise the Cairo-Basra-Karachi route on the lines shown in the ensuing paragraphs of this memorandum. The route, of which a map is attached for reference, will embrace the following landing grounds, intermediate landing grounds for refuelling purposes, and emergency landing grounds: Cairo Main Landing Ground Ramleh Emergency Landing Ground Damascus Intermediate Landing Ground Tadmor Emergency Landing Ground Abukemal (Euphrates) Emergency Landing Ground Hit Emergency Landing Ground Ramadieh Emergency Landing Ground Baghdad Intermediate Landing Ground Sheiksaid (near Kut) Emergency Landing Ground Amara Emergency Landing Ground Basra Main Landing Ground Bushire )Persian Bundarabbas)Gulf. Intermediate Landing Ground Charbar ) To provide the buildings essential for the inauguration of this route an expenditure of approximately £100,000 will be necessary. This will be absorbed as follows:- Cairo £10,000 Basra £33,000 Karachi £51,000 4 Intermediate Stations £7,000 (£1,500 a piece) (Expenditure at Damascus not included for reasons in para. below). It is anticipated that no expenditure will be required in respect of the emergency landing grounds showing above other than a nominal sum to be paid the local sheikh on condition of his maintaining the ground in order and properly marked. It should not (sic) be noted that of the total of £100,000 no less a sum than £94,000 is to be spent on the erection of permanent works at Cairo, Basra, and Karachi. The maintenance of these three stations, in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, respectively, and, as a consequence, the provision of adequate aerodrome accommodation, is in any case imperative on strategic grounds, and for the normal supply of machines to the East, irrespective of the needs of a service such as that in contemplation between Cairo and Karachi. This estimate of £100,000 is not intended to represent the total expenditure which may ultimately be incurred but is to be regarded as the minimum which will enable machines to be sent to India by air. If it is decided permanently to maintain a larger force of aircraft at any one of these three stations than is necessary for maintaining
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