'B 299. Mesopotamia. Note on Demobilisation by Civil Commissioner, Baghdad.' [‎2v] (4/8)

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It is for consideration whether the river steamers best suited for the Tigris
should not be retained, with an adequate number of barges, at the disposal of the
Civil Department of Railways (which might be merged into a Department of
LVansportation), in sufficient numbers to meet military emergencies, and to cope
with the Government tonnage. This would prevent a monopoly of river transport
by any one firm, would give the Department of Transportation a free hand to utilise
whatever method of transportation (river or rail) is most economical.
Some steamers and many barges could probably be sold in Mesopotamia to
British and to Arab companies ; some will in the ordinary course of things be
returned to India, others might be sold for export to Burma.
Inland ater Transport docks, buildings at Basrah and elsewhere, constitute a
most valuable property, and the best way to ensure its utilisation to the advantage of
the State would appear to be to vest the whole in the Civil Department of
1 ransportation (including docks). This done, superfluous assets could be disposed
of to other Government Departments, or by sale locally, under suitable supervision by
some specially-constituted authority on behalf of the Treasury.
Medical Services.
II. I he disposable material of the Medical Services in this country consists,
roughly speaking, of—
(1) Buildings.
(2) Ships.
(3) Sanitary installations.
(4) Stores.
As regards buildings, these are of three kinds
(1) Permanent buildings requisitioned for war purposes, e.g., the Serai and
Military Isolation Hospital at Baghdad, .No. 3 B.G.1I., at Basrah. It is
urgent that these should be evacuated at the earliest practicable date.
(2) Temporary hospital buildings of a more or less substantial nature ; these
will mostly be required by the military authorities for some considerable
time after the declaration of peace, if (1) are evacuated and if troops
are concentrated at large centres. x\ny surplus could probably be
advantageously taken over by the Civil Administration,
(3) Sanitary installations, water filtration plant. Much of this will be wanted
by the Civil Administration, so far as it can be spared; the balance
could probably be advantageously stored (paragraph U supra).
It is of greatest importance that continuity of medical and sanitary work in this
country be so far as possible ensured ; this might be done by establishing a Central
Medical Depaitment at the eailiest possible date, to which all medical records of
permanent interest would be transferred, and which would take over and continue the
research work now being conducted under military auspices.
A discussion as to the organisation of a Civil Medical Department is. however,
not germane to the subject of this Memorandum except in so far as it will afford
openings for a number of medical officers and British qther ranks of the K.A.M.C.
who may be willing to stay in the country.
The principle on which it will be formed will probably be that the personnel
should so lar as possible be British and Arab ; medical schools being instituted with
the object ot making Mesopotamia independent in the matter of compounders, dressers,
pharmacists, sub-assistant-surgeons, and assistant-surgeons.
Works Department.
15. The activities of the Works Department in Mesopotamia have had a profound
effect on the civil population, and the activities of no department have been of more
direct benefit to them. Politically the installation of electric light and fans, of
modern water installations, of ice machines, to mention only a few branches of the
Department, have fired the imaginations of all classes, who have benefited indirectly
therefrom (as in the case of street lighting and water) or who confidently hope to
benefit immediately after the war.
There are strong political reasons against any hasty restriction of the scope of
the \\ orks Department, much of which could be taken over en bloc by the Civil
Administration, with its plant, under the same financial arrangements as-railways