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Coll 17/4 'Iraq-Syria & Syria-Transjordan frontier: delimitation' [69r] (150/788)
The record is made up of 1 volume (386 folios). It was created in 1 Jun 1921-27 Oct 1932. 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.
[This Document is the Property oi His Britannic Majesty’s fiov.rnn^f 1
EASTERN (Syria).
November 12 , 1931.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 1.
^[E 5606/48/89]
Nq. 1
Mr. R. H. Campbell to Sir John Simon.—(Received November 12 .)
(No. 1190.)
^ ncguLiciLiuiib vvt;re lo oe conducted m
two stages, the first between the two High Commissioners alone, and the second
between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and His Majesty’s Embassy, the two
High Commissioners being present. In point of fact, Sir Francis Humphrys
was successful m reaching complete agreement with M. Ponsot and the
intervention of the Ministry and the Embassy was only required on the last day
of the proceedings, for the purpose of assisting in putting the documents into
nnal shape and m drafting the notes to be exchanged between M. Briand and
His Majesty’s Ambassador recording the agreement and making it binding on
the two Governments. The originals of the two French notes and certified conies
oi Lord T^riell s two notes, togetner with copies of the other documents referred
to m Sir Francis Humphrys’s report, are enclosed herein.
^ 3. It is unnecessary for me to describe or explain these documents, or
otoerwise to add to Sir Francis’s succinct and comprehensive account of the
proceedings, beyond remarking that the negotiations^ were much more difficult
than might have been anticipated. The reason for this was two-fold : In the
first place, the Jebel Druze, being under a separate (military) Governor, largely
independent of Beirut, M. Ponsot’s own position was a delicate one in agreeing
to any line involving a withdrawal of French military posts from the positions at
present occupied. On the other hand, it was precisely on this section of the
frontier that Sir Francis Humphrys’s instructions compelled him to be less
accommodating than elsewhere. In the second place, M. Briand’s personal
position is at present so weak that he dare not agree to anything which might
be represented, whether correctly or incorrectly, as a sacrifice of French interests,
and thus expose himself to attack in Parliament. The Ministry was
consequently reluctant to agree, of its own volition, to any line involving a
retirement, though it would probably have contemplated with equanimity a less
favourable one imposed as a result of a reference to the League of Nations.
Indeed, the most difficult part of M. Ponsot’s task w r as probably that of
persuading M. Berthelot and the General Staff, with wffiom he was in constant
contact, of the justice and reasonableness of Sir Francis Humphrys’s
contentions.
I. The above factors combined to make M. Ponsot less easy to deal with than
he might otherwise have been, and I know that I am voicing Lord Tyrrell’s
opinion in saying that it was due to Sir Francis Humphrys’s tact and skill in
negotiation that a satisfactory agreement was finally reached.
I have, &c.
R H. CAMPBELL
About this item
- Content
Papers regarding negotiations to amend the borders between French-mandated Syria, and British-mandated Iraq and Trans-Jordan. The papers discuss the boundaries established by the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Treaty of Sèvres, the British push for the inclusion of Amadiyah within the Iraq mandated territories, and the issue of tribal groups crossing border regions. The papers primarily consist of communications between the Foreign Office, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and the High Commissioner for Iraq, with occasional commentary from 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. Political Department.
The file also contains copies of treaties, minutes and appendices from the Committee of Imperial Defence, Standing Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, and minutes and documents circulated by the Council of the League of Nations, including:
- Memorandum by the High Commissioner for Iraq, stating objections to the frontiers established by the Treaty of Sèvres, including two maps, ff 375-380.
- Minutes and appendices of the Foreign Office meeting of 13 July 1931, including copies of the Humphrys-Ponsot Draft for Combined Reference to the Council of the League of Nations, and a copy of the Agreement between HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. and the French Government respecting the Boundary Lines between Syria and Palestine from the Mediterranean to El Hammé, Treaty Series No. 13 (1923), ff 315-349.
- Papers circulated at the Committee of Imperial Defence Sub-Committee meeting of 8 September 1931, including correspondence with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the Beirut formula, ff 238-314.
- Minutes of the Committee of Imperial Defence Sub-Committee meeting of 23 September 1931, including a sketch map of the Syria-Trans-Jordan frontier, and a report by the British Resident at Trans-Jordan, ff 141-209.
- Second report by Sir Francis Humphrys on his negotiations in Paris regarding the Syrian frontier, and annexes comprising draft agreements, ff 67-75.
- Excerpt minutes of the 65th Session of the Council of the League of Nations, 9 December 1931, including copies of the joint request for arbitration submitted by Britain and France, ff 48-66; plus minutes of the sessions on 31 October 1931, and 30 January 1932, ff 37-46.
- Copy of the League of Nations Mandate, Report of the Commission entrusted by the Council with the Study of the Frontier between Syria and Iraq, Geneva, 10 September 1932 (Official reference: C. 578. M. 285. 1932. VI), ff 6-28, which includes four maps (IOR/W/L/PS/12/2848 (i), IOR/W/L/PS/12/2848 (ii), IOR/W/L/PS/12/2848 (iii) and IOR/W/L/PS/12/2848 (iv)).
The volume includes a divider giving a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 4).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (386 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 388; 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 4-385; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 17/4 'Iraq-Syria & Syria-Transjordan frontier: delimitation' [69r] (150/788), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2848, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100054845814.0x000097> [accessed 20 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2848
- Title
- Coll 17/4 'Iraq-Syria & Syria-Transjordan frontier: delimitation'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:5v, 29r:29v, 31r:31v, 36r:36v, 47r:48v, 55r:56v, 59r:65v, 66v:70v, 76r:84v, 89r:95v, 98r:116v, 118r:185v, 187r:202v, 207r:259v, 264r:266v, 273r:293v, 299r:329v, 344r:378v, 381r:387v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence