19 September 1925 The French Minister and his Military Attaché met with Sir Percy Loraine and the British Director of Civil Aviation. They believed a French company could offer the Persian Government the same services on more favourable terms. They intended to make representations to the Persian Government, and to conclude negotiations within ten days. They were concerned about the strategic implications of Germany gaining a strong foothold in Persia. They said that Britain should have a foothold in Persian aviation, especially in view of Britain’s communications links with India. They wanted to keep the way clear for an extension of the Franco-Roumanian route via Angora and Tabriz to Teheran and Bushire. They suggested that there should be joint Anglo-French action to eject the Germans and thereafter to divide up the main Persian airways between French and British enterprise. There was to be a visit to Teheran of four French military aircraft at the beginning of October 1925. The draft contract for Junkers services was to have been presented to Parliament for ratification, but was delayed following the arrival of Colonel de Renty, the representative of the French Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aerienne, who attempted to make to the Persian Government more attractive proposals for the services projected by Junkers. I realize however that a forced landing on a spot impossible for taking off, or involving breakage, must be an expensive item, but I feel that this should occur very seldom. However, if the Company feel it necessary to create as efficient an organisation as possible to meet these rare cases, this organisation, although seldom brought into action, must be costly. A dependable estimate of the risks incurred cannot be arrived at until a detailed survey on the ground has been carried out. In this the British Resident at Bushire Sir A.T. Wilson of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, and the Persian Government, have expressed their willingness to help in every possible way. In this reconnaissance I feel sure that the Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf will be prepared to participate, and I believe that they might also be persuaded to assist in salvage operations when the service is started. If it is decided that three-engined aircraft must be used, alterations in the capital required, and probably in the subsidy, will at once be involved. Rather than let the scheme fall to the ground through insufficient money being available to meet these new conditions, I would suggest that a service to Baghdad or Basra should be established for two years, during which time experience would be gained which would indicate clearly the best policy to follow in operations along the Persian Gulf. I still feel however that £500,000 during a period of 5 years should be sufficient to meet the cost of establishing a through service.
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