Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎46v] (92/1031)

&0* a© s reesriUiuv«$? of Iraq «uo i.autU- r bi* met kV ioat
rnr the i,«uj boraer earl^ tn October to settle tribal
a ini outet* auiug between the two countries. The proceed in^e
opened un October bth* 177 Sane I olnlm* a no 2t> Iraqi ci^i^e
were < salt with aau the atao. phere ap..«??re to have been cordial
bttetni»»iltH» # nl^ one case, which hah been outetanalnh'
tfinoe ct.usea oisa^reecaent#
^1* m me ephere of econo^ics^ the quieter public tone
tlwit beeasa* apparent almost ias^eb*ateljr sfter the atemleaei of ^
Colonel Bailee h®a peraietea and vhe general outlooK now oaueea
ij.e far l«»o anxiety than was the case onl^ three iaonthe back#
Vhe Ae^latent britlah hvlaer to the Ministry of the interlor #
pr. brlce 9 soon suoceeheh Colonel ne Bl«nc (who had taken over
ou the fail of Colonel bix^lisa/ as cting Mrector-Oenerel of
^uppl l) f 9 ana for the lest two months has been giving effect to
the more liberal tendencies that hove replaced the all-embracing
and restrictive policies of Colonel Beyliss. The result is that
a wide variety of articles have bee* cecontrolled to the general
satisfaction of merchants and public, prices having in the process
f llea rather than risen* i iece-goode are arriving in fair
ntii inn from Inula and more are expected from the United states
and Britain, and this has enabled the authorities to start
effective uiatributlon in the provinces* i a a consequence,
orltltl&s of tue xOAinlstration*s hnnnling of supply is less
vocal and there is far leas of a tendency to lay all the
country*a economic tribulations at our boor*
G .
Ste. Bevertheiss, there la still a wideapreaa feeling, based
largciy on the easier conditions in bjrrla and the ^ebanon which,
duriag each summer are visited b^ eatny Iraqis, that this country
remains the Ginoerelia of the Middle East in supply matters*
A recent reduction in the tea end sugar ration has accentuated
this feeling sno has led tc public cogent to the efieot that
*the British’ 4 have not snown sufficient appreciation of Xraq f s
whole-hearted contribution to the war effort, particularly in the
furnishing of grain, dates and oil.
Mb* itl* this in mind i arr&rged, when the barley negotiations
were finally successfully conoludeu through the issue on October
M of an official notification fixin. prices at Ib.lP/h y
Basra cleaneo ano bag^od, and at rP* Ib/OuO and ID. 14/5bo for barley
not exceeding tan par cent, dirt on sief at Basra and Bagdad
res, actively, for the publication in "fhe Iraq Times’' ana the
vernacular press of e statement showing how His isjesty s
Government had coiae to iraq* s assistance in finding a market for
the greater part of the crop surplus at a price markedly lower thten
that paid las$ year, hut yet considerably above the world level.
The quantity to be purchased is 100*000 tons*
4 . i consider that the barley agreement ie fair and
reasonable to both aides, since it take s into account not only
the interests of the British taxpayer but also those of the Iraqi
rod user, who wouio have had cause for ill-*? ill had His 1 sweaty s
Gctemuent forced too drastic a cut on last year’s admittedly
exaggerated price* But the uncertainties and delays mioh
preoeaed our offer to buy on August MMth» ^nd wnich moi’e than
once threatened Gabin t complications on what wouia have been
a portly An*i 0 -lraqi issue for the first time since id*!, coupled
with the lo-s of eight subsequent weeks while the Minister of
Pinance/