File 4744/1915 Pt 2 'Middle East: Intelligence Service for' [‎9r] (15/90)

*
0190/1053
h^ October 1919.
^ir,
1. , I am oommanded by the Army Coxmeil to nay that the
Council regret to learn that lari Cur a on of Kedlaston and the
lee rot .ry of it ate for India consider premature the proposal
to form a combined Intelligence tervioe for the Middle last.
a® regards the critic ism that the propos®d service would
emphasise religious as op osed to raci a political movements
th© Council desire to state that their object in drawing up
the scheme is to provide a machinery to watch among other'
matters the development of religious sentiment and not in my
way to encourage or discourage it except in furtherance of the
policy which His Majesty*8 Government may desire to adopt.
I am to add that in view of the large number of
Mahommedan soldiers in the Imperial armies the Council are of
opinion that it is of the utmost importance to watch carefully
the development of religious sentim&at and political ideals
among the hahommedan races.
As regards the second criticism that it ie premature to
organize an intelligence service for areas of which the future
is uncertain the Council aro of opinion that we should nuk. e use
of our present opportunity to establish a system in areas where
it may be difficult to obtain ^ood and accurate inforn *tion 7
if the countries now lately occupied by our troops become
ei th er
Ihe Under Secretary of State
loreisaa Office.