'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' [‎65r] (129/136)

o
8 From den,■ml Haldane to Secretary of Stale, 19th January 192J.
Clear the line.
X. J'-Ml. Personal. Your 87463, dated 10th January.
1 have suggested the immediate reduction of No. 5 Medium Bitterv ., n d
intend to propose to War OHice on completion of operations the reduction nf
hatter,es of the Field Artillery Brigade from six to fou.Tns each ‘ 6
Labour is being reduced by some 10,000.
Any other reduction that may prove possible 1 will put forward.
Paras. 2 and 3 noted.
Para. 1 The following is proposed for your tour. Sir Percy and 1 will mepf
you at Basrah, where you would see local notables. ‘ 1 tet
From Basrah to Baghdad by rail via Nasiriya and llillah ; from Baghdad to Mosul
by 1 ail and road; from Mosul visit outposts and then proceed via Kirkuk toSulai-
lamya, and back to Baghdad rm Kirkuk and Kim(? dir)ban. From Baghdad visit
P i,T l ' al " al I Hl , t on f. he 'Jf , P er Euphrates, also Karbala and Nejef and return
Baghdad, pioceed Basra by rail to Kut-el-Amara and thence bv river. Climate may be
Schlb^er^ouidlZl," Cl ° thing an<1 Sl "’ hat > P l ' eferabl y Cawnpore
9 From General Haldane, Baghdad, to Secretary of Stale, 19th January IDi'l.
Clear the line.
10tli, X para 4 l'. 1>eri0 ' m1, Contilulatl011 “hv X. 1244, ,laterl 19th. Your 87463, dated
1 have been considering the possibility of withdrawing to Baghdad a cavalry
iegimerit from the Upper Euphrates which might later be dispensed with and
trusting entirely to (.aeroplanes) for maintenance of order beyond Fallujah 1 asked
,1 ■' ll ! s ,. v " ;, ' v 'f tllilt "'jthdraival of the garrison now would bo misunderstood by
the population who would apprehend that they were being left in tli> lurch"
Lawlessness would spread a risk we cannot afford at present when position at
au-Lz-Zoi' ,s uncertain. All revenue from Upper Euphrates area would be'los? and
British personnel would have to bo withdrawn.
* , ^ le estll j late d revenue from the Upper Euphrates area amounts to Us. Sf lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
And the cost of a cavalry regiment m the area to probably 100,000/ The savins
rom withdrawal won d not compensate for the state of lawlessness within our
1 ~ •*«*» *. i»«« » m
10
From Secretary of Slate to High Commissioner, Mesopotamia
23rd January 1921.
Priority A.
33.
Personal and Secret.
L I am sorry to receive your telegram ISO S„ but 1 hope that its tone is due to
mtsundeistanding. 4 intend to try my utmost to preserve our control of Mesopotamia
and it is only if every scheme for reducing the present enormous military expenditure
is rejected by those on the spot, and if no less costly methods can be devised that he
consequences indicated in my No. 4 will follow. It would surely be worthwhile to
examine alternative methods patiently and considerately. No province in the British
F.mpire has ever been acquired by marching in and maintaining a large regular army
at the cost of the British Exchequer, but always by skilful and careful improvisations
adapted to its special needs. \Ve have still several months in which to decide whether
any of these methods are feasible. Meanwhile you are wrong to suppose that vom-
scheme of setting up one of the SI,erriff’s sons as local ruler has been relcted l a
whole, and if you had waited to receive my further telegram this would liave been
clear to you.
3321 n