File 36/1919 Pt 3 ‘KURDISTAN POLICY & SITUATION’ [‎226r] (470/608)

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, PUJb/
(P 5419) From Political, Baghdad, 1st September 1919.
(Repeated to Constantinople. Copy by post to Simla..)
(Received 5th, 1.10 p.m.)
10234. Your telegram dated 29th August. Kurdistan. I have nothing to add
to views which I have recently expressed on the subject, and agree that kdieid
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. is wholly unsuited for role, which I believe no one man to be capable ol
suiting
O
I sug
gest he should be informed Major Noel will be returning to Paris and
London in November after making a complete r.our m ivuiui^iciu,. .un
hearing his views, His Majesty’s Government hope to be in a position to decide
what further action, if any, can suitably be urged upon Peace Conference in regard
to formation of a Kurdish State. .
Climatic conditions make it impracticable for a Commission to operate in
Kurdistan after end of November and that present political situation at \ an and
Erzeroum would certainly be found very embarrassing to such a Commission, of
which Kurdish members could scarcely fail to incur the active hostility of local
representatives of Turkish Government,
(I 1 1124) From Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, 4th February 1920.
(Copy by post to India.)
(Received 11th, 11 a.m.)
(11.) 1555. Your letter of 20th December, 7701, to Foreign Office.
1 am most reluctant again to press my views as to the alignment of the northern
frontier of Mesopotamia, and as to the status of those portions of Vlesopotamia
snbiect d bv y the n stre r nmh nm ,m, " Ced do 80 0Illy by the §' reat importance of the
in para 5 Ymav he cMlLf " ly 7“ < “‘ ,on ? anC ' in view of the fact, as mentioned
m para, j, I may be called upon to submit further observations.
if J l 7' y T AS h 0 , 4 "' 661 ; His Majesty's Government and Peace Conference. I submit
fhcinl 3 P ™ anclate t . f g Mesopotamia at ali, we should commit ourselves to no
special legnne for particular areas such as Arbil or Sulaimaniyah divisions The
oim of Government to be set up in those areas is one of (? State) policy for considera-
world 116 lnan ' at01 ' °' rel '' 111 the i'S'ht of experience, without reference to outside
Secondly. As between ourselves and Turkey or Peace Conference. 1 submit
frontier proposed m my telegram 606(1 of 13th June, as modified by my. telegram 045
ol loth January, is as good as can be found.
This line would leave road to North-West Persia over Keleshin Pass in our hands*
and would place withm our limits Rowanduz, Akra, Dohuk and Zakho.
... lese pl aces » if ia other hands, will be perpetual menace to us. Fact thev are
uit im our limits does not compel us in the future, any more than at present to retain
troops there. 1 am confident that before long we should be able to dispense with
troops at Akra ; we have never had troops at Rowanduz, but we are collecting revenue
and maintaining order there by indigenous agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . •
■xt Th , e ; r f w j 11 be "° “ e f, d for V s t0 administer or to accept further responsibility in
^ man s laud north of howanduz, which would otherwise be in the hands of tribes
under some other Government.
l olitical Officer, Mosul, and Political Officer, Arbil, concur in considering it far
preferable to have our frontier somewhat north of the line which we are actuallv
administering.
4lontier described was accepted from military point of view by Sir George
Commandin o-in Chief t0 Say ^ ]l: ' R the su Pf )0rt of t,Ie present General Officer
b„t .I'CT tL ,7- r , ds Sulaimaniyah. Proposed Council of notables assisted by,
but not subject to British advisers, would be devoid of authority or practical ability
woal d urge it is far safer to leave Sulaimaniyah constituted as at
p e»ent, a division ol Mesopotamia, and to allow the chief Civil authority to grant to
d e mRn77V U 0 l de eg f l0n > 0f powers , and such local constitution as occasion
t - , , ° no 1 t Iv 1 ?';' 0 wllar ' P r ?POsal of Major Soane for .a popular Government
Lieutenant-General Cobbe referred in the conference of 6th December, but 1 regard
such a solution as wholly impracticable and fraught with danger.
Fourthly.—As regards Arbil. At an important meeting of all notables, held last
month, question of a divisional council was not reopened in view of your instructions
but they made it (? clear) that they were anxious to be united to Mes ^tamia 1
regaid am other solution as wholly impracticable.
I shall have no difficulty in obtaining an 'indication of popular will on this
subject, but notables have already made their views known in no uncertain voice
'Si. Sw S; D,ti? s « »!• «*<,•'»»>
- riS SSSfiftSS: “ I—
General, Baghdad, concurs.
tour of Kurdistan, and that on