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'Employment of Japanese Troops in Mesopotamia' [‎24r] (1/6)

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The record is made up of 1 file (3 folios). It was created in 13 Dec 1917-18 Dec 1917. 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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3268
Circulated on behalf of the Secretary of Stat e for India.
SECRET.
Lmplovment of Japanese Troops in ^f(‘sopot;unia.
W ith reference to Lord Curzon’s memorandum of the 3rd October 1917
(G.T. 220b), and minute S of War Cabinet No. 250, of 16th October 1917, I
circulate to the War ( abinet a memorandum by the Political Department of
the India. Ollice, on the question of the employment of Japanese troops in
Mesopotamia, which lias my entire concurrence. 1 have no reason to doubt,
that Mr. Montagu would be in agreement with the views expressed therein.
The Government of India’s views, as given in a telegram of the 21st
November 1917, are embodied in the memorandum. Mr. Montagu had
personally raised tne question with the \ iceroy before thq despatch of the
Government of India’s telegram.
Islington.
18th December 1917.
T
Memorandum by Political Department, 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. .
1. r I he Government of India were recently consulted by 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.
on the suggested employment of Japanese troops in Mesopotamia. Their -
reply dated the 21st November 1917) is unfavourable. They consider that,
so far as can he foreseen, Japanese assistance is not likely to lie required by
the military situation in Mesopotamia, and they regard the proposal as open
to objection both on military and political grounds.
2. The following is a summary of their objections : —
(i) From the military point of view, they consider that, owing to
differences in equipment, armament, supplies, See., arrangements for the
maintenance of the expeditionary force would be complicated by the intro-'
duct ion of a Japanese element, while the demands upon tonnage would
be greater than in present circumstances in which reinforcements for
Mesopotamia are mainly drawn from India.
(ii) Their objections on political grounds, to which they attach still
greater weight, are as follows :—
(1) The proposal would involve the establishment of a military base in
India itself ;
(2) it would-alienate Muhammadan, and especially Arab, sentiment ;
(3) it would impair not only the immense prestige acquired by our
single-handed success in Mesopotamia, but our prestige in the
Fast generally, and would create throughout the East a belief in
the depletion of our resources; and
(4) it would give Japan a voice in the post-bellum settlement, of Meso
potamia, and a foothold in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. that would prejudice
our prescriptive rights in that region and our strategical position,
both naval and military.
3. Dealing first with the military aspect of the question, it seems to be
generally admitted that, whatever may lie the case later on, Japanese
assistance is not immediately required in Mesopotamia. Lord Curzon’s
Memorandum of the 3rd October 1917 proceeded on the assumption* that
“ a most desperate and determined effort' was about to be made by J urco-
German forces “to turn the British out of the Turkish territories in Asia.'’
There was every reason to believe, at the time Ids memorandum was written,
that such an attempt was seriously contemplated by the enemy. But
circumstances have somewhat changed since the beginning of October.
General Allenby’s advance into Palestine, coupled with our successful
actions in the Fuphfates valley and the Jebel Hamrin, have strengthened
S 373 60 12/17 A

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The file consists of a memorandum addressed to the War Cabinet by the 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. on the question of the employment of Japanese troops in Mesopotamia. It summarises the Government of India's views given in a telegram dated 21 November 1917, with military and political grounds for objecting to Japanese assistance. It also includes extracts from the Report of the Trade Commissioners who visited Mesopotamia earlier in 1917, and raises the concern that Japanese commercial influence will lead to political claims.

Written by John Evelyn Shuckburgh, 13 December 1917, with an introduction dated 18 December 1917.

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1 file (3 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 24, and terminates at f 26, 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 present in parallel between ff 24-26; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'Employment of Japanese Troops in Mesopotamia' [‎24r] (1/6), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B268, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100028631205.0x000002> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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