t susceptible of
negotiation or discussion with Abdur Rahman or any other claimant
to the throne of Kabul.

To the settlement of Herat, which is not included in these
completed arrangements, the Governor-General in Council cannot
authorize you to make or invite any reference in your reply to
Abdur Rahman. The settlement of the future administration of
Herat has been undertaken by Her Majesty's Government; with those
present views in regard to this important question, the Government
of India is not yet acquainted.

Nor can our evacuation of Kabul constitute any subject for
proposals in your correspondence with the Sirdar. This measure
was determined on by the Government of India long before the
appearance of Abdur Rahman as a candidate for the government of
the country we are about to evacuate. It has not been caused by
the hostility, and is not, therefore, conditional on the goodwill,
of any Afghan Power.

The Government of India is, however, very willing to carry out the
evacuation of Kabul in the manner most conducive to the personal
advantage of Abdur Rahman, whose interests we believe to be, more
than those of any other Sirdar, in accordance with the general
interests of the Afghan people. For this reason it is desirable
that you should inform Abdur Rahman of our intention to evacuate
Kabul, and our desire to take that opportunity of unconditionally
transferring to his authority the whole of the country from which
our troops will be withdrawn. You are authorized to add that our
military and political officers at Kabul will be empowered to
facilitate any practical arrangement suggested by the Sirdar for
promptly and peaceably effecting, in co-operation with him, the
transfer thus contemplated on his behalf. Such arrangement must,
however, be consistent with our obligations towards those who have
served and aided the British Government during our occupation of
those territories.

For this purpose, it appears to the Governor-General in Council
desirable that the Sirdar should lose no time in proceeding to
Kabul, and there settling, in conference with General Stewart and
yourself, such preliminary arrangements as may best promote the
undisturbed establishment of his future government.

The Governor-General in Council has, however, no desire to press
this sugge