'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' [‎59r] (117/136)

It follows from this reco’nmendation that the administrative and technical
personnel at Koweit, Bahrein, &c., should remain under the control of the
Government of India, which would continue to be responsible for questions of
recruitment, &c.:—
40.—(2.) Aden.—The existing civil administration of Aden is carried on by
members of the Bombay Political Department, &c., numbering in all about twenty-five
officers :—
41. We recommend that this administrative service should be taken over and
organized by the Colonial Office on the lines of, and possibly as part of, similar
services under that department.
42. —( 3 .) Mesopotamia.—We understand that the technical services in Mesopo
tamia will, in the main, be organized as part of the Arab Government, and that officers
in these services will not be in the employment of His Majesty s Government. We
have not therefore made any recommendation as to these services.
43 . —( 4 .) Trans-Jordania.—We would suggest that it might at some later date
be found convenient for the technical services in Trans-Jordania to be administered as
part of the technical services of Palestine.
44 . Advisers and Political Officers. — Mesopotamia. — The political
administration of Mesopotamia is at present being carried out by officers who have
been recruited in a number of ways. Some officers have been loaned by other
Governments who are now pressing for their return. A considerable number of Army
officers have been seconded for definite periods. There are also a great many temporary
officers who served in the East during the war and who are now engaged on a temporary
basis with contracts varying for the most part from one to three years.
We understand that the High Commissioner estimates that 40 officers will be
required in the immediate future for political duties, but that the number may be
capable of subsequent reduction to 30.
45 . We have considered whether it would be desirable to fix a definite cadre and to
establish a Mesopotamian service on the lines of the Palestinian service. We think
that such a step would hardly be consistent with our obligations as Mandatory for
Mesopotamia, and that the proper course is for the civil administration of Mesopotamia
to remain on a provisional footing. Further, the number of British officials required in
Mesopotamia is at the present moment decreasing, and it seerhs likely that for some
time to come sufficient personnel of the right quality will be available on the spot.
46. We do not therefore recommend setting up a Mesopotamian service
or creating a pensionable establishment, unless it becomes clear that the necessary
personnel is not obtainable on the special conditions recommended in paragraph 47.
Nor do we think it necessary to suggest any special method of recruitment.
47 . It will, however, be necessary to give some securify of tenure to officers not
loaned from parent services. We approve in principle the suggestion made by the
Hio-h Commissioner for Mesopotamia, that a certain proportion of such officers should
be given 5 years’ engagements. Instead of a pension scheme we suggest that it w T ould
be desirable to arrange a system of gratuities -payable in respect of each completed
year’s service, such gratuity being payable both to officers who are given 5 years
engagements and to the margin of officers whom it will be necessary to employ over
and above those who are engaged for the longer period. The details of this scheme
should be worked out between the Colonial Office and Treasury.
48. As regards officers loaned from parent services, special steps are essential to
secure the loan of an adequate number of experienced officials for as long as may be
necessary to fill a proportion of the more responsible posts. The exact conditions of
engagement will have to be settled in each individual case, but we recommend that
arrangements should be made in all cases to secure that service under the Mesopotamian
administration will count for pension.
49 . In addition to the Political Officers required for service in Mesopotamia, a
certain number of officers will be needed to perform similar duties in other areas. We
understand that there are at present five officers engaged on such duties in Trans-Jordania
but that it may be necessary to increase the number. A certain number of officers will
also be required for duty in the Aden Protectorate and on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Littoral.
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