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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [279r] (558/1144)
The record is made up of 1 file (570 folios). It was created in 21 Dec 1932-5 Mar 1948. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
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Annex V
f
T30PY.
(S 4536/1730/G)
FOR SIGN OFFICE , G.’/.I
19th September, 1941*
MOST SECRET .
Dear Boyd,
Many thanks for your letter 75872/115/41, of the
7th August, in whioh you invite our comments on Sir Harold
f MaoMichael 1 s telegram No* 1021, of the 13th July, and the
Colonial office minutes on that telegram, about future
policy in Palestine.
I may say at once that there is very little, if
anything, in the Colonial Office minutes with which we
disagree. 17e had also reached the conclusion that there
is nothing very attractive about any of Sir Harold
MacHichael f s three suggestions, and that by far the better
course will be to carry out the policy laid down in the
White Paper of 1939.
There is just one point of detail that occurs to
us, notably with regard to MacMichael*8 second suggestion.
We wonder whether MacMichaei is right in assuming that_ the
setting up of a mixed Advisory Council, and subsequently
of a mixed Legislative Council, is Inconsistent with the
V/hite paper policy. The constitutional proposals to which
MacMichacl refers were, of course, abandoned for good and
sufficient reasons, viz. that they were discovered to be
quite inadequate to meet the Arab views. The Arab
delegations at the Palestine Conference made it clear that
they had very little use for a mixed Advisory Council which,
after all, was merely a reversion to an arrangement in force
In 1920. Y/hat they wanted was what Sir Harold MacKichael
calls a ’ f jobocracy*' or, in other words, posts where they
would have responsibility and executive powers. It is
clear that the mixed Advisory Council scheme would not
satisfy the Arabs now any more than it did in 1939 as a
substitute for the Y/hite Paper policy. If, however,
MacMichael likes the idea of setting up a mixed Advisory
Council etc., is there any reason v/hy he should not do so*?
He could explain, if necessary, that this was not part of
the '/bite Paper policy, but that as His Majesty^ Government
have been compelled by the war to postpone temporarily the
implementation of the constitutional proposals in the White
Paper, he had decided to proceed with this other scheme,
which did not of course mean that the -Yhite Paper plan
would not also be carried out so soon as circumstances
rendered this feasible.
We have, however, one far more important comment.
It seems to us that sir Harold MacMichael is regarding the
Palestine problem as one that can still be.considered in
isolation. You will remember that the Middle
Bast
(Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location.
official
Committee
h.B. 3oyd, Esq., C.M.G., C.V.O.
About this item
- Content
This file concerns the British Government's response to the Pan-Arab movement during the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the correspondence refers to the prospect of an Arab federation, although the use of the word 'federation' is noted in some of the correspondence as being a mistranslation of the original Arabic expression, which would be more accurately represented by the words 'unification' or 'unity'.
Significant subjects of discussion include:
- Arab party politics in Palestine.
- Iraqi-Egyptian relations.
- Italian propaganda in the Middle East.
- The future of Palestine.
- Britain's post-war policy in the Middle East.
- Whether the Arab states should be induced to make a wartime declaration in favour of the democracies (i.e. the Allies).
- The formation of the Arab League (also referred to as the Arab Federation in the correspondence).
- Details of the Pact (also referred to as Covenant) of the Arab League, signed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.
- Whether representatives of the Arab League should be present at the Palestine Conference in London, in 1947, in addition to representatives of Arab states.
Notable correspondents include the following: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the High Commissioner for Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad; the High Commissioner for Egypt; His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo; the High Commissioner for Palestine; His Majesty's Minister at Jedda; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; the Minister of State in the Middle East; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , the Commonwealth Relations Office, and the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. 's External Affairs Department; Noury Said [Nūrī al-Sa‘īd], Prime Minister of Iraq; George Antonius, Lebanese-Egyptian author and diplomat.
Also included with the correspondence are the following:
- Extracts from Palestine police summaries dating from 1933 to 1936, produced by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jerusalem.
- A printed copy of a paper on Arab federation by the Foreign Research and Press Service, dated 20 June 1941.
- Copies of documents produced by the War Cabinet's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East (also referred to as the Middle East (Official) Committee), including minutes of meetings (1941-1942) and a copy of a report on Arab Federation, dated January 1942.
- A copy (in French) of the Protocol of the Preparatory Committee for the Arab Congress, dated 7 October 1944.
- Copies of the Pact/Covenant of the recently formed Arab League (consisting of a printed copy in French, distributed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an English translation of the full Arabic text, which includes a passage that was omitted from the French version).
The French material consists of the aforementioned Protocol and Arab League Pact, plus one item of correspondence and a copy of a newspaper extract.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2-3).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (570 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 571; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two previous foliation sequences, which are also circled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [279r] (558/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x0000a1> [accessed 15 July 2026]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2110
- Title
- Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 9r:24v, 27r:59v, 61r:62v, 73r:78v, 82r:93v, 95r:103v, 105r:106v, 111r:111v, 113r:115v, 118r:120v, 122r:132v, 134r:152v, 158r:199v, 201r:265v, 273r:354v, 356r:381v, 384r:394v, 398r:407v, 410r:516v, 518r:565v, 567r:571v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence