File 788/1919 Pt 3 ‘MESOPOTAMIA Disposal of River Craft’ [242r] (243/929)
The record is made up of 1 item (482 folios). It was created in 27 Dec 1919-24 Nov 1920. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
15
I took over from H.M. Government a large number of ocean-going
steamers of tire value of 33 millions. These I have distributed entirely at
my own discretion amongst British shipowners without advantage to myself,
personally, or to the Companies with which I am associated. I believe the
Government and the shipowners are satisfied with the operation. I am pre
pared to take over the whole Mesopotamia Elotilla at a price to be agreed
between us', and to distribute them fairly. But I could do so only on the con
dition that the distribution and the prices at which I sold them were to be
entirely in my own hands, as I could not go into the operation on any other
terms because the worry and bother would be intolerable.
The conditions I would make are these : —
There would be no profit on the sale to myself, either directly or indirectly.
The distribution would be entirely in my own hands and my Companies
would not benefit in my opinion from my allocation.
Any profit that might accrue from the deal would be distributed amongst
the buyers on a basis settled by myself, and any loss would be borne by me
individually. This is how I have dealt with the ocean-going ships.
I am prepared to negotiate a comprehensive price on this basis. If a
lump sum for the whole fleet were agreed the terms of payment would have to
be arranged. I could not pay the whole amount at once. This was the
arrangement for the ocean steamers. .
I need scarcely say that I have no desire to burden myself with this
operation, my only object is to assist you in your gigantic task of saving the
salvage of the war, and to distribute the vessels in a fair way to those whose
ships and craft were commandeered in the interest of the nation, and who in
consequence now find themselves in dire difficulty in carrying on and develop
ing their business, which they had initiated and built up by their own indivi
dual efforts through long years of struggle. '
Of course your ideas of a lump sum for tlie whole flotilla ma\ be beyond
anything I could possibly afford to risk. I don’t want to land myself in a
serious, loss, although I am prepared to risk something personally m order to
help to clear up the aftermath of the war and to do my bit to get trade back
into its economic channels. If we can come to terms for a comprehensive
deal, it will take some time to get rid of the thousand and one craft which
are left on your hands, but I am prepared to risk it at a reasonable price,
always on the distinct understanding that I don’t make a penny pieceMor
myself either directly or indirectly, or for my Companies, to the disadvantage
of others, on the transaction. .
If you think it would be in the interests of the State to go further in this
matter on the terms I propose, please let me know and I will put myself m a
position to negotiate in regard to a price for the whole flotilla.
Yours sincerely,
(Sd.) IYCHCAPE.
The Rt. Honourable Lord Inverforth,
Ministry of Munitions,
Hotel Metropole, W.
SECRET.
Very urgent.
To—
The Civil Commissioner.
Q/5168.
General Headquarters,
Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force,
2nd January, 1920.
Memo.
-n £ ™ ‘iTagfi /11M /2f> of the 17th December, and 38687/113/26 of
Reference o (OoU / / • Ofifb December from
30th December. The attached memo. Ho. R.E. 411b of Aitli Her cm
D I W T is forwarded for information.
' Tt will be seen that the following eight oil barges are required for the
Post Bellum Array requirements, until more normal conditions prevail.
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About this item
- Content
This file concerns the disposal of river craft in Mesopotamia and contains material relating to:
- The opposition of the Civil Commissioner in Baghdad, Colonel Arnold Talbot Wilson, to the proposals of Lord Inchcape [James Lyle MacKay, 1st Earl of Inchcape] for the disposal of river craft in Mesopotamia, on the grounds that it involved ‘unnecessary and undesirable abrogation by [the British] Government of its proper functions in favour of a private individual [Lord Inchcape] ... who is thereby enabled to exercise autocratic power in Mesopotamia’
- The particulars and estimated costs of the Inland Water Transport Fleet to be delivered to Basrah [Basra] and put into commission, the valuation of the Dockyard, and estimated cost of Magil [Al-Ma‘qil] Yard and its associated structures
- The announcement by the Manager of the Mesopotamia-Persia Corporation that if the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company were not given a monopoly for the transportation of goods, they would ‘create one by carrying goods for nothing, until they had forced out of business any local firms who were attempting to compete’
- The petition of the merchants of Basrah to the Civil Commissioner in Baghdad to arrange for the sale of the river craft in Basrah instead of Bombay [Mumbai] to provide them with a fair opportunity to purchase some of the vessels
- The opposition of Sir Percy Cox to assurances given to Lynch Brothers, Lord Inchcape and others, rather than a ‘consideration by commission or other specially constituted authority’ for navigation rights on the Tigris and Euphrates
- The plan for the sale of surplus Mesopotamian river craft by Lord Inchcape on behalf of the British Government to take place in Bombay, and the issues relating to the inability of British and native firms from Baghdad to be present at such short notice, as well as the general absence of information about which specific vessels were being offered for sale
- The Inland Water Transport schedules for the barges necessary to carry petrol for post-bellum Army requirements, and the oil barges used for storage at depots (ff 435-439)
- The statement of the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, to the Secretary of State for India on the vessels required for the civil administration of Mesopotamia, with an abstract of applications received from commercial firms for Inland Water Transport river craft (ff 423-431)
- The question of Lord Inchcape and his associates obtaining a legal or practical monopoly over river transportation in Mesopotamia and the position of the British Government
- The conditions set out by Civil Commissioner Baghdad that only ships designated by the Army as being surplus before 10 March 1920 be put up for sale, and the need to ensure equal opportunities for local purchasers with those from Bombay
- The Schedule for Craft required by the Civil Administration, from Brigadier-General Robert Herbert Wilfred Hughes, Director of Inland Water Transport, to the Civil Commissioner Baghdad (ff 316-319)
- The Sub-Committee on Mesopotamian Ports, Surveys and Inland Water Transport’s inter-departmental conference on Middle Eastern Affairs, 16 March 1920
- The information from the Inland Water Transport Office to the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, on pumping installations in connection with oil distribution at various stations (ff 261-269)
- The inter-departmental conference to discuss the disposal of surplus river craft in Mesopotamia, led by the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, and including representatives from the War Office, Inland Water Transport, Ministry of Supply, the Foreign Office, and the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , 8 April 1919
- The invitation by the Commissioner, Ministry of Munitions Disposal Board, General Headquarters, at the request of the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, on behalf of Lord Inchcape, of tenders for the purchase of all surplus Government river craft available in Mesopotamia
- The report by Lord Inchcape to Minister of Munitions, Lord Inverforth [Andrew Weir, 1st Baron Inverforth], on his disposal of surplus small craft belonging to the Mesopotamian fleet, 31 March 1920 (ff 159-192)
- The advertisement for the sale of the river craft in the Baghdad Times, the popular response to a rumour about a possible sale to the Lynch Brothers, and the views of the Manager of the River Steamship Company expressed to the British Chamber of Commerce.
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- 1 item (482 folios)
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- Title
- File 788/1919 Pt 3 ‘MESOPOTAMIA Disposal of River Craft’
- Pages
- 122r:123v, 124v:133v, 134ar:134av, 134r:158v, 192v:193v, 194v:278v, 279ar, 279r:303v, 304ar, 304r:312v, 313ar, 313r:399v, 400v:412v, 414v, 415v, 417v:564v, 565ar, 565r:570v, 571ar, 571r:582v
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