‘Report for the Army Council on Mesopotamia. By Sir John P Hewett, GCSI, KBE’ [‎4r] (12/119)

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REPORT FOR THE ARMY COUNCIL ON MESOPOTAMIA.
1. I left London on the 14th September with Lieut.-Colonel Sir Harry Verney. On arrival at Port
Said we were joined by Mr. A. B. Buckley, of the Irrigation Department in Egypt. After visiting the
Delta, Upper Egypt and the Sudan, we arrived in Bombay on the 18th November. We were there
joined by Mr. L. C. Porter, Commissioner of Lucknow, and Mr. W. Boche, Executive Engineer in the
Irrigation Branch of the United Provinces. Thence I visited Delhi to see the Financial Adviser to the
Commander-in-Chief in India. Leaving Bombay on the 29th November, we arrived in Basrah on the
5th December.
Having made arrangements for the investigation of certain matters connected with the Port of
Basrah, I proceeded to Baghdad in order to settle with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief plans
for the future conduct of the inquiry. After the rest of the party reached Baghdad we made our head
quarters there. We were able to visit the cultivated areas on the Euphrates from Shinafiyah (Shinafie)
to Ramadi, as well as the cultivation on the Diyalah, and the country between Baghdad and Mosul.
We left Baghdad on our return journey to Basrah on the 13th February, halting at Kut and Amarah
to see the canals and cultivation in those districts. From Basrah we proceeded by steamer through the
Hamar Lake up the Euphrates to Nasiriyah (Nasrie) and Samawah, in which districts are the cultivated
areas on the Lower Euphrates. On returning to Basrah we visited Arabistan. These tours were com
pleted by the 10th March.
2. My instructions are to report to the Army Council on :—
(а) The administration and finance of the schemes already put forward for the development of
irrigation and agriculture in Mesopotamia, and their control on behalf of the Imperial Govern
ment.
(б) Whether, in other respects, expenditure in Mesopotamia charged ultimately against Imperial
Army Funds is being duly confined to such services as are presently necessary for the prosecu
tion of the war.
I am further directed to report how far civil funds can currently or eventually be called upon to bear,
in place of army funds, the cost of various schemes being developed in Mesopotamia, including those of
irrigation and agriculture, which will largely benefit the civil population either immediately or after the
war, and the best method of giving effect to such an arrangement*.
3. We were treated with the greatest courtesy in the conduct of our inquiry by both the military
and civil authorities, who did everything in their power to facilitate our investigations by placing at our
disposal the information in their possession. Special acknowledgment is due to Mr. E. Burdon, of the
Indian Civil Service, the present Financial Adviser to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, and to
Major O’Brien, the Audit Officer, Irrigation and Agriculture.
Though this report bears my signature only, its contents and the investigations which led to the
suggestions embodied in it are largely the work of those who accompanied me to Mesopotamia. Mr.
Porter’s administrative experience and profound knowledge of revenue questions in the East have been
of immense assistance in enabling us to arrive at conclusions regarding the administration of the scheme
for the development of irrigation and agriculture ; his advice has been very valuable on all matters ^
the form in which the report is presented is largely due to him. Sir Harry Verney has not only been a
cheerful companion from the time we started from England, but has, by reason of his knowledge of:
agricultural matters, his general good sense, and his willingness to make himself useful on any piece of
work, however trivial, greatly facilitated the disposal of our business. Mr. A. B. Buckley is not only
experienced as a canal Engineer in Egypt, but was also employed at one time in Messrs. Thornycroft’s
yard, and later in the Cardiff docks. He has thus been able to supply a very valuable opinion on matters
outside the Irrigation schemes. He and Mr. Roche have aided the inquiry by the exercise of their-
general knowledge of engineering not only in matters connected with the irrigation of the cduntry, but
also in respect of other undertakings such as systems of water supply, electric power, and engineering
works in the port of Basrah and elsewhere. Their expert knowledge of irrigation problems has not
only been of immense value in the preparation of this report, but has also been at the disposal of the'
Irrigation authorities in Mesopotamia, with the result, I have reason to believe, that their advice has been
much appreciated. No conclusion or suggestion is embodied in the report on which our opinion is not
unanimous. Mr. D. W. Helms, our clerk, has done his work industriously, and to our satisfaction. I
am much indebted to the Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces for having lent the services of
Messrs. Porter, Roche and Helms, and to the Egyptian Government for those of Mr. Buckley.
Conditions in Mesopotamia in Summer of 1917.
4. To enable a proper appraisement of the financial and administrative arrangements of the schemes
put forward for the development of irrigation and agriculture in Mesopotamia in 1918 and 1919 to be made,
it is necessary to give some account of the general conditions prevailing at the time when in the summer of
1917 the scheme for 1918 was devised. The difficulties of the position can only be appreciated on a
consideration of the military and political situation at the time. The attached maps showing the culti
vated areas in 1918 and 1919 [AppendixI], and the different canals in operation in 1919 [Appendix III
will enable the areas referred to to be identified.
(C 1781) A 2