"العراق والخليج الفارسي" [ظ‎‎٢‎٠‎٤] (٨٦٢/٤١٣)

296 HISTORY
a large number of British executive officials in most departments of
the administration. In the period before the 1922 treaty, advisers were
responsible to the High Commissioner who had supreme control.
After the treaty they became employees of and responsible to the
Iraqi Government, but, in addition to their duty towards Iraq of
assisting development and maintaining enlightened government, it
was also their duty to provide the High Commissioner with advance
information about all measures of the Iraqi Government, and also to
safeguard the financial interests of Britain and of foreigners.
In 1930, when Britain decided to end the mandate, the Iraqi
Government was left fairly free to dismiss British officials, and
instructions were issued to officials that an increasing share of
responsibility for administration should be assumed by Iraqi
ministers and officials, and that as far as possible the real as well as
the ostensible control of affairs should be left in their hands.
This gradual transference of authority was accomplished by the
reduction of the number of British officials, though the more senior
tended to be retained. The following table of British and Indian
staff in the Ministry of Finance, a key department, illustrates the
policy.
Gazetted officials
igeo
1925
1930
British .
9
8
4
Indian .
. 10
2
0
Non-gazetted officials
British .
. 1
0
0
Indian .
66
4
0
Total
86
14
4
The shift was made even more rapidly in the Education Depart
ment. By 1922 the executive staff was entirely Iraqi, and after 1923
no administrative order was issued by a British official.
Complementary to these changes was the continual reduction
in the British military forces. This was accomplished largely by the
transference of the responsibility for defence and assistance in
maintaining internal order from the Army to the Air Force.
Royal Air Force
6 Squadrons
(8 in 1922)
Iraqi Levies
4 Cavalry Regiments
1 Pack battery
2 Battalions infantry
3 M.G. Coys.