![Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎251r] (502/1144)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000288/IOR_L_PS_12_2110_00506.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎251r] (502/1144)")
Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [251r] (502/1144)
The record is made up of 1 file (570 folios). It was created in 21 Dec 1932-5 Mar 1948. It was written in English and French. 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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
6e It xs with diffidence that I express any
views about Iraq, but it hac always seemed to me that
the interest svinced from that quarter in federation^
and the Palestine problem has been primarily directed
to acquiring prestige and political kudos for its ovm
politicians^ There are not the aame bonds between
its people and those of the Mediterranean seaboard
(or Arabia) as exist between the
Levant
A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
States and
Palestine* Iraq would no doubt participate in economic
and cultural co-operation but it seems to me unlikely
that this would lead to any political unification*
However, time would show*
6* V/hereas there is a deep underlying unity
between the
Levant
A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
States and Palestine, unity of
these with the reet of the Arabic-speaking world is
more apparent than real and the idea derives its
impetus from the clique of closely inter related
Syrian politicians who have their chief centre at
Damascus with branches in all towns of the Hear and
Middle
Bast
(Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location.
and have managed to persuade the outside
world that they are Arabs and entitled to speak for
’’the Arab world”*
7* It la highly problematical whether the
Syrian politicians are capable of achieving federation
in the wide sense* Too man:/ of them are devoid of
statemanship and the qualifies which command general
respect and intrigue is the bread of life to them. Ely
own opinion is that if K.MoG* decide to press political
federation o\ r er the wider field, the only chance of
success would be for the exercise (?group omittedVvpf
the federal functions involved, leaving the States only
to seek local autonomy. The same may apply but less
categorically In the narrower field of the
Levant
A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
and
Palestine but the French complication seems to put it
out politically*
8» If HtM.G-. ie unable to adopt this rcls in
either the wider or narrower field, the best and most
popular policy would seem to be the fostering cf economic
and cultural co-operation throughout the whole (?group
omitted} without prejudice to the eventual formation of
political groupings, if such are found agreeable to any
of the parties concerned* But in order to restore
confidence in our intentions it is highly desirable that
RsM.G. should reassert the validity of the principlee of
the White Paper, otherwise H.&L3* will certainly be
suspected of thinking of federation in terms of Jewish
rather than Arabic consolidation.
9* < The anxiety of tne political Zionists to force
the pace in the matter of unification is likely to prove
a serious hinderanee to its acceptance by the ”Arabs”
and the more sensible Jews are rery much alive tc this
danger* Dr. Magnes has lately prepared some interesting
pamphlet 0 on the aib jeot. which 7. am sending you- He
describes four Jewish schools of thought in relation to
Arab union.
(a) The first envisages an autonomous Jewish
Commonwealth side by side with (but not inside) a
federation of Arab states- „ ,
About this item
- Content
This file concerns the British Government's response to the Pan-Arab movement during the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the correspondence refers to the prospect of an Arab federation, although the use of the word 'federation' is noted in some of the correspondence as being a mistranslation of the original Arabic expression, which would be more accurately represented by the words 'unification' or 'unity'.
Significant subjects of discussion include:
- Arab party politics in Palestine.
- Iraqi-Egyptian relations.
- Italian propaganda in the Middle East.
- The future of Palestine.
- Britain's post-war policy in the Middle East.
- Whether the Arab states should be induced to make a wartime declaration in favour of the democracies (i.e. the Allies).
- The formation of the Arab League (also referred to as the Arab Federation in the correspondence).
- Details of the Pact (also referred to as Covenant) of the Arab League, signed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.
- Whether representatives of the Arab League should be present at the Palestine Conference in London, in 1947, in addition to representatives of Arab states.
Notable correspondents include the following: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the High Commissioner for Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad; the High Commissioner for Egypt; His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo; the High Commissioner for Palestine; His Majesty's Minister at Jedda; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; the Minister of State in the Middle East; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, 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 Commonwealth Relations Office, and the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. 's External Affairs Department; Noury Said [Nūrī al-Sa‘īd], Prime Minister of Iraq; George Antonius, Lebanese-Egyptian author and diplomat.
Also included with the correspondence are the following:
- Extracts from Palestine police summaries dating from 1933 to 1936, produced by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jerusalem.
- A printed copy of a paper on Arab federation by the Foreign Research and Press Service, dated 20 June 1941.
- Copies of documents produced by the War Cabinet's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East (also referred to as the Middle East (Official) Committee), including minutes of meetings (1941-1942) and a copy of a report on Arab Federation, dated January 1942.
- A copy (in French) of the Protocol of the Preparatory Committee for the Arab Congress, dated 7 October 1944.
- Copies of the Pact/Covenant of the recently formed Arab League (consisting of a printed copy in French, distributed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an English translation of the full Arabic text, which includes a passage that was omitted from the French version).
The French material consists of the aforementioned Protocol and Arab League Pact, plus one item of correspondence and a copy of a newspaper extract.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2-3).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (570 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 571; 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. Two previous foliation sequences, which are also circled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [251r] (502/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x000069> [accessed 14 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x000069
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x000069">Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎251r] (502/1144)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x000069"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000288/IOR_L_PS_12_2110_00506.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000288/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2110
- Title
- Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 9r:24v, 27r:59v, 61r:62v, 73r:78v, 82r:93v, 95r:103v, 105r:106v, 111r:111v, 113r:115v, 118r:120v, 122r:132v, 134r:152v, 158r:199v, 201r:265v, 273r:354v, 356r:381v, 384r:394v, 398r:407v, 410r:516v, 518r:565v, 567r:571v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence