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File 4744/1915 Pt 1 'German War - Arabia. The Arab Bureau at Cairo' [160r] (229/384)
The record is made up of 1 item. It was created in 10 Dec 1915-6 Mar 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. .
Transcription
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X ? .
Telegram from Viceroy, Foreign, f X , >
Dated 28th May 1916.
Secret. Our telegram of 14th M
G.0.C.,Force "D" telegraphs I.G.2857 22nd May.
•-ter'eau.
begins
You are I think aware sf that Captain Lawrence was recently
deputed here temporarily from Egypt in connection with certain
projects of which the Arab Bureau was one. From conversation
held with him it would appear that the fact that the conduct
of it has been retained in hands of Director of Military
Intelligence has given us a somewhat erroneous impression of
the status and objects of the Bureau which we had regarded as
mainly a war measure* In view of modified aspect in which
institution is presented to us by Lawrence// I propose that
X
Miss Gertrude Bell and not Major Blake should act as
corresponding officer for Mesopotamia. To this end I
contemplate if there is no objection giving her definite
official status by Force Routine Order and placing her services
at Cox’s disposal granting her a fixed allowance a month for
them. Cox and Lawrence who discussed the suggestion are of
opinion that Miss Bell is well qualified for the task and mQV
assumption of duties would be agreeable to Cairo and ourselves.
She herself is quite prepared prima facie to fall in witxi the
arrangement in which I trust the Government of Inaia will
concur* ends.
We agree. High Commissioner has been informed.
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The papers concern the establishment and work of the Arab Bureau at Cairo, a section of the Cairo Intelligence Department, which was set up to co-ordinate Arabian and Islamic intelligence in the face of German and Turkish propaganda, which had been making rapid headway in the region during the First World War (1914-18). The papers record the organisation and establishment of the Arab Bureau, and include tributes to the work of Arthur Brownlow fforde (the Government of India representative on the staff of the Arab Bureau) and Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (Corresponding Officer for Mesopotamia).
The principal correspondents are the Viceroy of India; Arthur Brownlow fforde; and senior officials 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. , the Foreign Office, and the Government of India.
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- 1 item
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 4744/1915 Pt 1 'German War - Arabia. The Arab Bureau at Cairo' [160r] (229/384), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/576/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044744122.0x000083> [accessed 8 August 2026]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/576/1
- Title
- File 4744/1915 Pt 1 'German War - Arabia. The Arab Bureau at Cairo'
- Pages
- 46r:128v, 132r:136v, 138r:181v, 186r:237v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence