ملف ١٩١٥/٥٣ الجزء IV "الحرب الألمانية: تركيا؛ الخلافة إلخ" [و‎‎٢‎٠] (٤٨١/٣٦)

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•31' r
^ quAniuJ
In his reply of I7th December, the High Commissioner gave the
desired undertaking about peace terms; acknowledged the Sherif f s
agreement in the Mersina-Adana question; deferred the further
discussion of all Syrian questions in deference to France; and
hinted that Great Britain 1 s interests in the vilayet of Baghdad
would require good assurance that any autonomous government to
be established there should be "stable and friendljr” • For the
present the consideration of this matter must be postponed. He
further warned the Sherif that the strength and permanence of
our whole agreement ,nust depend on the nature and quality of the
Arabs 1 co-operation in active measures in the meantime. In a
verbal message sent with the letter, he expressed his opinion
that some such arrangement as the Sherif had outlined, in regard
to Irak, might be submitted to our Home government when the time
should come.
On January 1st,IS16,the Sherif replied agreeing to leave the
precise financial terms on which we should hold Irak to us; but
reiterating his claim that the area of Arab independence must
include Beirut and district.
Since the last date, questions about the boundaries or the
constitution of the Independent Arab area have been left wholly
aside and subsequent communications have had reference only to means
and measures for action on the part of the Sherif and the Arabs with
a view to expelling the (Turks. The Sherif has pledged himself to
take such action in consideration of the assurances we have actually
given and without stipulating for any more. He holds out hopes of
taking the field in earnest about the beginning of May.
At this stage it may be as well to set out what each high
contracting party has not agreed tos-
The Sherif,for his part, has not agreed to:-
1. The exclusion of Alexandretta (which is in the Vilayet of Aleppo)
or any part of Syria from the area of Arab independence.
2. Permanent alienation of any part of Irak or even the temporary
concession to us of any province,except that of Basra
("districts now (Hov 5) occupied by British troops").