'File 53/1915 Pt 2 German War: Turkey; the Caliphate and Pan-Arab movement' [‎18r] (40/444)

Telegram P., No. 10-D. S v dated tlie dtp November 1915.
From—His Excellency tbe Viceroy (Foreign and Political Department), Delhi,
To—His Majesty’s Secretary of State for India, London.
Arabia. Kindly refer to your telegram* dated the 22nd October and tbe
* Serial No. 2 . * telegramf to the Foreign Office, from High
t Serial No. 6. Commissioner, Egypt, No, 644, dated the
26th October.
The Government of India fully realise and with regret that as reported by
you, you were prevented by circumstances from consulting us in connection with
the overtures to the Arabs particularly in mew of the discretion allowed to
High Commissioner of Egypt with regard to our special interests in the area
actually in our occupation and the Baghdad province. This discretion we
consider has been exercised without due regard to the interests of India, by the
inclusion of the provinces of Basrah and Baghdad in the proposed independent
Arab State, “ only special measures of advanced administrative control ”
in these two Vilayats being reserved to the Government of India or His
Majesty’s Government, We should not, we think, have been committed to a
policy of tbis nature and before a pledge of such vital importance to the future
of India was given we should have been consulted. The creation of a strong
Arab State lying astride our interests in the Gulf and in the East has always
been regarded by us with much diffidence as a not unlikely source of trouble
ultimately and we entertain doubts in regard to any political or military
advantages likely to accrue in this manner. If His Ma jesty’s Government are
satisfied that the termination of the war is likely to be hastened by an Arab
alliance, we do not on general grounds wish to oppose it, although we object
to the conditions on which it is proposed that it should be based in respect of
Mesopotamia.
Some form of native administration in Baghdad Vilayat under our close
political control and the eventual annexation of Basrah Vilayat have always been
contemplated by us as a minimum. Annexation is apparently put out of the
question by Sir H. McMahon’s guarantee. By the surrender to an Arab Govern
ment of any kind of the Basrah Vilayat not only shall we be preparing
trouble for ourselves at the head and along the southern littoral of the
Gulf, but we shall be giving up the main fruits of our hard-won vic
tories in Mesopotamia. Such a course will not only mean abandonment
of .enormous potential sources of revenue, but will also be resented by
the European Commercial Community and the Indian people who look
to Mesopotamia as a field for emigration and commercial expansion in
return for the blood of their countrymen shed there. We sincerely trust
that formula may be so amended as to admit of His Majesty’s Govern
ment having free hand eventually in the disposal of Baghdad and Basrali
Vilayats which have been won at such cost.
We hesitate to recommend the publication if any proclamation on
the lines suggested by Sir McMahon in his private telegram to the
Foreign Office of 1st instant pending orders.
Bepeated High Commissioner, Egypt, and addressed Secretary of State
lor India.
11
No. H.-8910, dated Delhi, the 3rd November 1915.
Endorsed by Army Department.
A copy of the undermentioned paper is forwurded to the Foreign and
Political Department.
Telegram No. 209!-E., dated the 31st October 1915, from the General Officer Command
ing, Egypt, to the Commander-in-Chief in India.