" E 12 ابن رشيد" [و‎‎٥] (٩٤/٩)

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Telegraia (p) PRIORITY. Reed. 19.05.
JTora Secy, of State for India, ondon.
To CiTil Commissioner, lia ^hdad,
repeated h.ifi. the Viceroy, Xnaia.
Dated i9th and reed. 20th June 1919•
Please refer to oorreapondenoe enaing witu your
telegram Ko. 6414 dated 8th instant.
The whole question has been under the oarefu conai-
deration of H.M 'e Sovernnent.
It is. speaking generally, our polioy to avoid getting
entangled in the rolitios of Central Arabia and to reduce
to a minimum our coamitt-aents there and elsewhere. 'o the
polioy of setting up one Chief against another (as su-estea
in telegram No. 937 dated 7th instant from high Commissioner
Cairo) and attempting to establis /i a e oowei amoni,.
Chi .fs in Central Arabia, we should be altogether opposed.
W* must, however, judge particular cases on their
merits and for the following reaeore we think it wo . •^
impracticable for us to be disinterested in the affairs of
BIH BAJSHID.
(1) The influenc# BIH RA3HID exercises extends up -o Haiti
of Iraq.
(2) The pilgrim route to Holy Places from Iraq is control-
led lay him. f
?or above reasone we accept in principle proposition.
(!) That it is desirable, in order to make EIK RASHID
reapect our borders and keep open the route for pilgriw.
to enter into relations with him to the extent of subsidi-
zing him.
(2) Our relations with him should be conducted not through
the High Cofflmiesioner. Cairo, but through Civil CommiesioneJ
Baghdad.
'aximum of subsidy mentioned in your telegram ;:o.6668
of 17th May 1919 seems altogether excessive and should be
n a* • «r.»«+4nff of the Eastern Committ«<
fixed on peace scale. At a meeting o-
the sum of £500/- was mentioned.
Before