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'Administration of Mesopotamia' [‎96r] (3/4)

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The record is made up of 2 folios. It was created in Oct 1918. 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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s is not in any way
status, and that it is
1 ininistration of both
iing brought into liae
t? justified in claiming
ino the administration
lad is ' in conformity
ttee " to Sir P. Cox,
I'asra methods must
is force in the Civil
sial distinction, irhcre
co-ordination." That
Cox as long ago as
iate fundamentally in
) administrations will
3 so similar as to be
kl be one of technical
ake itself felt on the
:> from every point of
ent principles would,
cerned."
■al poiiit of difference
i, whereas Basra was
3ses, peace conditions.
largely disappeared;
the highest degree
settlement. Will the
supposing this forms
tion during the period
ight be the case. lint
• actual administration
groundless. His views
e need not cavil at the
ice, to earn them into
♦ ^
asion from England at
Last year the proposal
, that serious military
such likelihood exists
jght within measurable
slves, much sooner than
case. ^ e shall plainly
tave a considered and
vernment of India (who
commendatious) regard
o useful purpose would
mt stage. Bnt tlieii
bjects for investigation
on itself. ^ hat seems
ar lines ol enquiry, but
iltation with the local
ic occupied territories,
nain lines on which we
only hamper us at the
a numbei' of practical
mples : proposals were
s in Mesopotamia ; the
Jing out an unofficial
Mission to study the commercial development of the country; and overtures have
been received from a number of individual firms, some of them of high standing,
who desire to enter the new held for commercial enterprise that is being openpd out.
Tn all these matters, the importance of which cannot be disregarded, the uncertainty
of the future makes it very difficult to take any decided line. The Department, it
need hardly be said, has no desire to place the Government of India at a disadvantage
in regard to " questions vitally affecting Indian interests." But the Government of
India will be directly represented on the proposed Commission; and it would perhaps
meet the case if their representative were given a discretion to remove from the scope
of the enquiry, or at any rate to reserve for subsequent reference to his Government,
any points on which the interests of India were directly concerned.
7. Composition of the Commission. —As already indicated, the Department
supports Captain Wilson s suggestion that one member of the Commission should be
nominated by the Government of India. Perhaps the Egyptian Administration might
be asked to nominate another, leaving the Chairman and Secretary to be appointed by
His Majesty's Government. A representative of the General Oflicer Commanding,
Baghdad, could be added after the arrival of the Commission in Mesopotamia. The
proposal that an officer on the spot should be deputed to clear the ground in advance
seems a very good one, as also the suggestion that the Commission should be
empowered, at its discretion, to co-opt heads of local administrative Departments. It
is submitted that, as a first step, the proposed Commission should be approved in
principle. Details of its composition, terms of reference, &c., will then be taken up
without delay.
8. It may be added that this note is concerned only with the points immediately
at issue, viz. :—(1) the amalgamation for practical purposes of the administrative
systems of the Basra and Baghdad Vilayets; and (2) the appointment of a Commission
from England to study further administrative problems on the spot. It is not desired
to raise in this connection the wider questions of international policy, tS:c., which will
have to be taken into account when the future of Mesopotamia is ultimately settled.
It is enough to say that the measures now under consideration will not in any way
prejudice these wider issues, though they may serve to strengthen the hands of His
Majesty's Government in dealing with them.
9. It is accordingly recommended—
(1) that Captain Wilson be informed that the steps taken by him to amalgamate
the Basra and Baghdad administrative systems as reported in his telegram
No. 7725, are approved, with the proviso that, in harmonising the two
- systems, his guiding principle should be to bring the Basra system into
line with that of Baghdad, and not vice versa ;
(w) that the proposal to send a small Commission from England to Mesopotamia
during the present autumn to examine administrative problems on the
spot, and make detailed recommendations to His Majesty's Government,
be approved in principle, subject to the reservation of the rights of the
Government of India in regard to questions affecting Indian interests, and
that the Government of India and the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, be
informed accordingly ; and
(3) that, pending the appointment and arrival of this Commission, Captain
Wilson be authorised to place an ollicer on special duty in Mesopotamia to
make preliminary arrangements for the Commissioners investigations.
1 ) OLITIGATi D k PAUTMENT,
I ndia O fficf,
21st October 1918.
J. E. S.
appears to be as givt
here.

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This memorandum is a note by John Evelyn Shuckburgh, Political Department of 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. , dated 21 Oct 1918, concerning the British administration of Mesopotamia, the status of the vilayets of Basra and Baghdad, and the establishment of a commission from London to research administrative problems and future arrangements.

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2 folios
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Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 95 and terminates at folio 96, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folio 11-158; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.

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'Administration of Mesopotamia' [‎96r] (3/4), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B290, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023612468.0x000004> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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