'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎8r] (15/134)

11
Buchanan to study the various eventual requirements of the Port of Basrah, and
prepare projects and plans for the same.
There are, however, as will be observed from £the attached letter, certain
urgent military requirements connected with the improvement of temporary jetties,
etc , which I have had recently constructed here and which will engage Sir
George Buchanan's immediate attention with a view to their improvement as
considered necessary by him.
(Sd.) JOHN NIXON, General,
Commanding, Indian Expeditionary Force " D.' :
No. 1179-4 -Q.
General Headquarters, I. E. F. " D."
The 22nd February 1916.
To the Chief of the General Staff, Army Headquarters, Delhi.
Sir,
I have the honour to forward herewith the attached correspondence for
perusal and record.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
r (Sd.) M. COWPER, Major-General,
D. A. & Q. M, G., General Headquarters, 1. E. F. " D"
The Director General of Port Administration and River Conservaricy,
L E. F. " D."
For information.
Basrah :
10th January 1916.
To the D. A. and Q. M. G.
Memorandum.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your memorandum No. 1179-1-Q., dated
5th January 1916 ; the instructions contained therein are noted and on the arrival
of my staff and equipment iin nediate action will be taken to give effect to same.
2. In the matter of Port Administration referred to by you I think it desir
able to explain my understanding of the order of the Government of India more
fully than I was able to do in my short interview with General Sir John Nixon at
which the S. M. T. 0. was present.
For the last 14 years I have been the Administrative Head of the 3rd largest
Port in the Indian-Empire, and I have had under my control the following
departments, i.e., Marine, Engineering, Tarffic, River Conservancy, ^ecreianat
and Finance. I gathered from my conversation with the Commander-in-Chief
and other high officials that it was not intended, or for a moment contemplated,
that I should exercise any control over the executive departments which are
working the Port for the time being, solely for military purposes, but that the
Government of India believed that from my intimate knowledge of the organisa-
tion and working of all departments of a modern port my advice and experience
would be useful to the Army Commander on any points which nvght arise, and
especially where a considerable expenditure of public money was involved, as
for instance on wharves, warehouses, jetties, harbour moorings, docks, slipways,
workshops, dredging operations, etc., etc. It was with this object in view that
the Government of India directed me to proceed at the earliest opportunity to
Basrah instead of, in the first instance, returning to Rangoon to collect my staff
and equipment,