890H.42a/23: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Afghanistan ( Engert )
107. The Department regrets that its best efforts to procure teachers and engineers have thus far met with little success. Your No. 216, November 5.84 When the Department’s 87 of August 2484 was dispatched [Page 62] six highly qualified young men had tentatively been selected as teachers and their departure was considered dependent only upon the completion of certain formalities. Decision to enter the armed forces or illness of family members subsequently caused four to withdraw. Of the remaining two, one has failed to secure the permission of his draft board to leave the country and representations on the subject by the Department have been unavailing. Other possible candidates interviewed in the past 2 months have now all announced their inability to accept the positions. There remains therefore but one candidate who has only now received a release from his draft board. Efforts will be made to expedite his departure.
The Minister has been informed that other candidates for teaching positions cannot be procured this year but that if he so desires the Department will with the help of the Office of Education commence efforts to interest teachers in similar appointments next year. Several of those previously interviewed have already indicated that they might be able to accept the positions at that time.
Efforts to procure engineers were until recently equally discouraging as all persons interviewed were found either to lack the necessary qualifications or withdrew their applications. However, within the past several weeks two men have been found who are believed to be highly qualified for the positions of structural engineers. Their names have been submitted to the Minister and he is now in communication with them. The Department is also in communication with seven men who would be well qualified to fill the four surveying positions which the Minister indicates are available but as yet no definite intimation has been received from any one of them regarding the probability of his acceptance. The Department has enlisted the support of several engineers of nation-wide prominence with a view to finding a suitably qualified chief engineer. Two possible candidates have been found, one of whom would be excellent but who is unable to determine for another 10 days whether he will be available. The other is anxious to secure the position but his qualifications have not yet been satisfactorily established.
The compensation now being offered both teachers and engineers is entirely satisfactory. The difficulty is due to the fact that those qualified persons who would prefer to remain at home can find locally a plethora of acceptable positions while with few exceptions those who would normally be eager for employment abroad have been taken into the armed forces or are engaged in other work connected with the war effort.
The Minister has been fully informed of all steps taken and appears to appreciate the difficulties involved.