'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎388r] (785/1386)

75
_ rt j 3 ’’Hueoessary to quote lure the Report in full, but the following
- tiai ts show the grounds on which the Committee arrived at conclusion 1
! n>' Desirability of an Advance to Baghdad.
°" “«;W 8 ro U nd» the capture ,ml occupation of Baghdad offer distinct and solid
•oBamages. the enemy, apart from the bio,v which ins prestige would sustain would bo
. f the Baghdad'^Swav n'' “"l*™’ 11 ^i'head (of the section
1V T iailw <ij now woi-kmg from «am f arra to Baghdad). Our forces would Ir
as ir e t.ie main route from Europe through Kermanshah to the interior of Persia and
would deprive the Germans of a base for their intrigues in the Middle East.
I lie Practicability of an Advance
“ ?• T1, t ° Staff. War Office, the Comniandcr-in-Ohief in India the Militarc
. , -3, J"dia Offiee, and the local military authorities are all in agreement in the oninion
i • i 111 01 i 0r to .l ), ; o 1 v,(1 ° for P oss,bl ° eventualities, a second division, or those units of a division
a\ oit i c an >e suitiibly employed m Mesopotamia, should be held in readiness to follow the first
b r s” •.nrmu ;r v r f <W ’S'*? » P^ition later on to concentrke
l:mcm s^^en th^t^oM^U n PP - r ^. the ob i ect of offensive operations on a
to send further reinforcenientsl ;,,,n " laa> l H(,ve msuihcieut, and it maybe necessary in 1916
ou fhoLnfi'Tt C0 ; n ? 1 i(Je, : ed h y. iho War ( ’ >'nicil on the 21st October, and
on Uk, same date, the following private telegram was received
“ From Vicero 3' t0 Secretary of State for India, dated 21st October 1915.
i:r■ ^' ] llb | a g H ein g. ^"Mrelj" with ll;s .Majesty’s Government regardino- strateo-ical and
' i'ildia 8 '*° r
JU-ing consulted the Commander-in-Ghief, three ahernatives present themselves: —
U ^ nS tl~t J, ^T I,f i U ;° °f. 1U ? !ulil< j and its occupation. Provided that we receive a guarantee
^m thrd^fth- V1S10 n 0f tr00ps io Mesopotamia within two months
mont sulisfochnyon" d " Mca1 ^ AM ‘ W * «>'“«<>.> "Ould be the
( m " Ultil< ‘ k (be ] urks ’ In:lbe il ril 'd on Baghdad, release the female Eno-lish
capt i ves eaptiuetlie few stores and steamers that remain and from a position South
a wliot o’n P lh0 1 C r yb ^ ,,atr0lS U1> tHe ,,iver ’ • • • This would not require
a vhoie additional division to accomplish, hut would only be the second best
alternative from a political point of view. Utht
“ 1 /<i Bsdf S tous a bmtl 1 ' A T m in U ( + lefen f ive r° sitioT1 - Such a step does not commend
?p a!' i l • m ;? y /°r C . e ns *0 advance after all, because both the Turks and
t ie A i abs u ill see that it is a weak measure.
uJ'Ill f, i !! taiy 1 ' eaS011 " 11,6 Commander-in-Chief would prefer the first or tliird and dislike-
well : ;vf ,1,er T Ve - • Jl,S ° pini0n T that we n,ust either hold Baghdad ourselves or keep
Ileirin^cupat^m 8 " & VCryV “ ^ centre of supplies for
0 " mg t0 ,l,e w'taafiol, we may at any time have to
exist at pees™,! “ 11 *» occupy Baghdad, even With oar fo,« S as they
to ° n tUe OP'-- i, that
•• I will leave the question for the decision of His Majesty's Government with coutidence
thiee {ll<ernatiVeS ’ but 1 h Vthat the first alternative will he
, r , Z!! 1 (ll j < ' l “ d . 1 ‘ (1 October another AVar Council was held, the result of which
vab t.ie definite order contained m the following telegram :
1 rom Secretary of .Slate for India to Viceroy, dated 23rd October 1915.
- ff N&ron is satisfied thatjhe troops he has available are enough for the purpose, he may
^ Or: account of relief and ^.nsport ^rran^ts
ta,ve some time, but two divisions will be sent as early as possible.’’
nil
The telegram was followed up the same day by official letters to the War
Olme and the Admiralty pressing for the immediate despatch of the
sanctioned reinforcements. 1 LUL