Papers of the Mesopotamian Administration (later Middle East) Committee [‎6r] (11/80)

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I-LGOrO^iJiIA AD,;iUISTIlAJIOH COUCTTEE.
]OO.t}X) HEETlHCr
of the Mesopotamia Administration Oommittee
w-.s held in the Lord President of the Council’s Room at the
iiouso of Lords, on TULSLAY, MAY 8, 1917 at 6 p.m.
foil;
Dvri
ng members
were
The
Hi
ght Hen. Ea
rl 0
Sir
Ro
nald W. Gra
llfUTl,
Mr .
Ge
orge Clerk,
C.E
The
Ri
ght it on . Au
st en
(s
ecretary of
St a
Sir
m
1 •
V/Hold erne
3 9, 1
Sir
Ar
thur Kirtzel, h
Mr .
J.
E. Shuckbur
Sir
ii en ry L cM ala on
,/o?
G*C.I.E« (in the Chair)
KhC.^.G., C.B.)
C.M.G, ) foreign Office
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.
A c$:
Major C.L. Storr, Secretary.
xjiii CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had assembled in order
to consider the comments of Sir Percy Cox and the Government of
India upon the recommendations submitted in the Committee’s Draft
Report. ne suggested that the Committee should investigate the
criticisms paragraph by paragraph.
PARAGRAPH I.
MR. CHAkBRRLAIH drew attention to the point of view expressed
u ' iiC _ i^^ian Government tnat restriction of Indian immigration
ln Irak would cause bitter resentment in India. As regards
t t .e desirability ol posting an Officer at lasrah to advise on ques-
10 ns Ox Inuian pilgrimage and tra,de interests, he sa,w no objection
to this being done.
fr
Tr.E CKAIIL.All said that immigrants were cf tv;o kinds; settlers
and small traders* There was considerable objection, in his opin
ion, to a sudden rush of small traders who, once planted in any
locality, clung tenaciously to it and generally managed to under-
ee_l other traders. As it was, the petty trade cf Basrah and other
ports was almost entirely in the hands of Indian ianias, and these
were the people whom he thought should be kept out of Baghdad.
, GKAhiEiiLAIH explained that he had been thinking in terms
C- Arabian and not Indian administration. Re had been considering
rather the question of settler immigrants than the restrictions to
be placed upon the entry of traders.
Ch.AIAiviAL said that traders could now only enter under
licence and noted numbers.
/would
be
3xn HENRY M CL Ah ON suggested that the nec ecs arj r restrictions
could bc imposed by the application of Municipal Law, against which
indiviaual^ Indian s/scmt at liberty to protest f x ^rte-
. He had not contemplated special
regulations, but thought that Muncipal Law should be sufficient to
discourage the Inflow of traders.
but
in a
^xor embarrassing^ to°£ov!rnmfnR ly raiSe the 1 uestion