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'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎36r] (71/134)

The record is made up of 1 volume (66 folios). It was created in 16 Sep 1916. It was written in English. 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. .

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67
Enclosure No. 9.
List of plant as to which enquiries are being made.
1. One 3-ton steam travelling crane to travel on rails any gauge and have
steam travelling and slewing motions, along with 600 feet 40 pounds rails with
bolts and fish plates.
2. Two small electrical installations with fans to be placed on river survey
steamers.
Telegram No. 55771, dated the 24th May 1916. Serial No. 19.
From—The Chief of the General Staff, Simla,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force " D," Basrah.
It is desirable that the whole question of organisation, maintenance, repair,
etc., of the river fleet in Mesopotamia should be referred under your orders to a
Committee of which Sir George Buchanan would be President, Government of
India have already applied for the services of Mr. R. A. Home of the Irrawaddy
Flotilla Company to serve on this Committee, and Company has agreed to lend
Home's services for a period of 4 months from date departure to arrival back in
Rangoon. You would appoint such additional members as you consider necessary
and forward the report with your views and recommendations to me.
This Committee could consider question raised in my No. 53172, dated 10th
May 1916. (Not included in collection.)
Telegram No. 1614-13-Q., dated the 13th June 1916. Serial \o 20
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force " D," Basrah,
To—The Chief of the General Staff, Simla.
I have now had an opportunity of discussing the terms of reference for the
committee ordered by your 55771 of 24th May (not included in collection) with
Sir G. Buchanan and General MacMunn who are the officers chiefly concerned.
They agree in deprecating the question of the organization of the river fleet and the
provision of personnel being referred to this Committee. Sir G. Buchanan writes
that these are not subjects on which they can be of much assistance. He has
stated he never understood it was meant to investigate these particular points.
General MacMann observed that the subject of the organization of and maintenance
of an efficient river service is inextricably bound up with the question of the
supply of personnel and involves an investigation not only into the organization of a
branch (of the ?) Government Service, namely the Royal Indian Marine, in the
field but also into his own organization of the lines of communications for which he
alone must be responsible. There is force in these arguments, and friction is certain
if an officer from outside as Sir G. Buchanan presides over a Committee which cannot
avoid an enquiry into the organization of the Royal Indian Marine and its personnel
and which is charged with suggesting an organization which must include per
sonnel for river craft and in so doing may make proposals which may closely
affect the administrator of system now in force in Royal Indian Marine. Do you
attach importance to the Committee exactly as constituted by you, namely, with
Sir G. Buchanan as President dealing with the whole subject as defined in your
56973 of 31st May (not included in collection), namely, a reference wide enough to
cover all questions relating to organisation and manitenance of an efficient river
service. Desirable as this might be, had I clean slate to work on, I cannot
but fear, first that the Committee's investigations will take a long time,
involving much delay before start is made with the additions to the river fleet;
secondly, that General MacMunn's reorganization of his lines of communication
must inevitably be delayed if he has to wait for the report of the Committee to be
accepted or else be liable to be upset by what the Committee recommends, for it
must be remembered that their report may open up many delicate and intricate
questions; thirdly, I observe that in your telegr. m 55771, you contemplate
Mr. Horn^ being required in Mesopotamia for nearly 3 months. During all this period

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Content

This secret summary was compiled by the Army Department, War Section Case and printed in Simla in September 1919. It contains letters and telegrams sent from 11 December 1915 to 14 August 1916 between the officers of the Government of India and the Director-General of Port Administration and River Conservancy on the administration of the Port of Basrah [Basra].

The summary also contains 'Report of Major-General G F MacMunn's Committee on the Organization of the River Service in Mesopotamia' (folios 58-66), with recommendations for the Royal India Marine Services, on the method of employing existing and forthcoming vessels, and measures for the control of the shipping traffic on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Extent and format
1 volume (66 folios)
Physical characteristics

The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; 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. The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎36r] (71/134), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/131, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023544987.0x000048> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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