'Mesopotamia. Administrative Record during British Occupation' [‎64v] (5/8)

doubtless to
follows:—
Receipts.
Customs -
Land Revenue
Cattle Tax
Posts
Judicial Fees
Jail Labour -
Press and Publications
Military payments for Militia
Miscellaneous
be classed as non
-recurrent. The details of the budget
£
. 1,200,000
. 1,100,000
133,000
100,000
33,000
20,000
47,000
Guards 133,000
147,000
- £2,913,000
Expenditure.
(leneral Administration
Revenue Establishment
Customs
Police
Judicial
Jails
Education
Press Publications
Militia
Medical -
Posts
Transport
Public Works
Irrigation
Agriculture -
Settlement
Surveys - "
Agricultural Loans
Non-effective charges (mainly local
pensions and allowances)
Total -
£
627,000
140,000
120,000
167,000
67,000
60,000
67,000
53,000
333,000
267,000
80,000
300,000
400,000
353,000
47,000
7,000
27,000
67,000
153,000
£3,335,000
7 Up to the time of the armistice the course of progress, both political and material, was
unchecked. The people had been assured the country would not revert to Turkish rule, and
thev took it for granted that they would remain under British protection. They had seen
our work in battle and in administration ; they appreciated our thoroughness, our strict justice,
-ind above all, our rapidity of action. Since the armistice the position has not improved. 1 he
delavs and uncertainties of the Peace Conference have had their inevitable reaction upon local
opinion. Distrust of our intentions and fear of the return of the Turk have been engendered.
For reasons which need not be discussed here, it was considered necessary to invite the
population of Mesopotamia to express their views on "self-determination." They reflected
that if they voted for the Turk and the British came, they would be none the worse ; whereas
if they voted for the British and the Turk came, they would inevitably pay the penalty. Their
open declarations in our favour were therefore the result of stable conviction. The continued
postponement of a decision gives endless opportunity for agitation, while it necessarily tries the
patience of our friends. Arab hopes and fears in Syria also have had their influence on
Mesopotamia!! politics The results are to be seen not only in signs of unrest in the
interior of the country, but in actual disturbances in the outlying districts, particularly in
Kurdish areas, where no less than three incidents involving the murder of British otlicers have
recently occurred. At the same time material progress on the previous scale has become
impossible; and both the Agricultural and Irrigation Departments are depleted of officers
who cannot afford to abandon the certainty of good employment elsewhere for the doubtful
prospects which are all that Mesopotamia can at present hold out. Already men of excep
tional experience have been lost to the country; Col. G arrow has gone to the Argentine,
Col. Evans to Burma, and Col. Engledow to England.
8. There is also the financial aspect. We are at present bound to accept Turkish fiscal
policy, and a financial system which requires complete reform has to be made to serve. We
cannot inaugurate new taxes; we have had to abandon old ones. Mesopotamia is to all
practical intents and purposes a separate State; yet a proposal by the Civil Commis
sioner to introduce a Customs barrier against the Syrian frontier has had to be negatived.
Other sources of revenue that await exploitation, e.g., rise in land values, minerals and lease
of State lands, must remain untouched. The longer the delay the greater the political and
financial embarrassment.
9' ^ few remarks may be added as to the position of the India OlFice in relation to the
Civil Administration of Mesopotamia. The circumstances in which the Chief Political Officer
with the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force was accorded the title of 44 Civil Commissioner "
Q? f f 1 i e T \ a - of 1 (llre(,tcorres P on( l eilce with I lis Majesty's Government, through the Secretary of
fnfrnlnl liave been mentioned in an earlier paragraph. This arrangement, which was
l tl fl gU t • . ' , ^ een rualntaln0 ^ down to the picscnt time. The India Ollice
Ihi «^K^V nS ^ nCe 7 ■ recommendations, Ac. from the Civil Commis
sioner, while the instructions of His Majesty s Government (on other than military matters)