'Papers relating to transfer of Middle Eastern Affairs to the Colonial Office and creation of a new Department there, 1920-1921, with Cabinet notes of Milner, Montague, Churchill, self, and others' [‎57v] (114/136)

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(2.) The civilian Services which will be required for the. Administration o
Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Aden,' and for political duties in other paits o
Arabia.
(3.) The constitution of the new Department of the Colonial Office.
We propose to deal with each of these questions separately.
i
III.—MILITARY ARRANGEMENTS. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE
COLONIAL OFFICE, AND THE WAR OFFICE AND AIR MINISTRY.
18. The Cabinet decisions of the 31st December last contemplate that a
fundamental change shall be made in the present position whereby the War Office and
Air Ministry bear the cost of military operations in Mesopotamia and have to answer for
such expenditure in Parliament, while the policy is in the main laid down by other
Departments. We have, therefore, to consider what should be the relationship between
these two Service Departments and the Colonial Office in regard to military operations
in Mesopotamia.
19. This question will of necessity be affected by the decision taken as to the force
which is to be maintained in Mesopotamia. We understand that a Committee has
been considering this question under the chairmanship of the Adjutant-General to the
Forces, and that the general policy aimed at is to replace the bulk ot the regular
garrison by an effective force of armed Constabulary and certain specially raised Indian
(or possibly African) units officered from the British and/or Indian Armies. We
understand that it is contemplated that the Colonial Office should recruit this latter
force through an officer holding a post of Inspector-General under the Colonial Office,
and that the arrangements should in the main be similar to those already existing as
regards the recruitment and maintenance of the King’s African Rifles and West
African Frontier Force. The Colonial Office would arrange direct with the WAr Office
for the loan of officers and personnel to form the necessary cadre and would assume
direct and full financial responsibility. We will return later to these proposals.
The more immediate and important question is to decide upon the arrangements to be
made to tide over the transition period before this eventual normal establishment is
reached.
20. We have assumed that for some time it will probably be necessary to maintain
in Mesopotamia a considerably larger force than this eventual establishment. It is
therefore necessary to devise means for putting an end at once to the present
unsatisfactory system of divided responsibility.
21. A possible solution would be for the Colonial Office to set up a complete
military organization, which should be in a position to offer military advice as to the
forces necessary to carry out the policy decided upon by the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, and should be responsible'for all the military and financial arrangements
necessary to maintain troops in Mesopotamia. This *suggestion does not in any way 4
commend itself to us. It would be uneconomical to the highest degree and would
involve duplication of work. Further, it is most undesirable to setup a large depart
ment to perform a task which it is hoped will be in the nature of a decreasing
liability.
22. We recommend during the transitional period that the War Office and
the Air Ministry should continue to be the Departments responsible for advising
as to the forces required to carry out the general military policy decided upon.
W T e trust that the Secretary of State for the Colonies may, with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State for W T ar and the Secretary of Stdte for Air,
have the advice of the departments of the War Office and Air Ministry concerned,
on all questions affecting their respective forces.
23. Further, we recommend that the War Office and Air Ministry should act
as agents for the Colonial Office in maintaining such regular forces, and in
conducting such military and air operations as may be required in Mesopotamia
during the transitional period.