Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎78v] (156/1031)

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U.S.S.R. and the rosiest illusions about social conditions in the Soviet Umon, is
increasing and is likely to continue to increase as owing to a i k ^ j t •
Axis it has at present no rival as a progressive and constructive P° 1 „ , g
13. In my despatch No. 24 of the 22nd January I informed you of the
assurance given to me by the Prime Minister that he won c nolitical
favour the release of any more persons who had been interned for poll ca
reasons. He has recently explained to me that he said June because he was ^
confident that by then the Axis armies in North Africa would have been defea
and that the situation would therefore be favourable for a review o ,
some of the internees. Those freed in January have done no harm an 1 f
circumstances it does not seem likely that the release of a fin t lei num e
minor personalities would cause the Iraqi Government any embarrassment or be
injurious to the interests of His Majesty s Government. I ha\e told both the
Regent and the Prime Minister that I myself see no adequate justification tor
any further “ appeasement ” until the end of the war, but it is probable neveit e-
less, that the Prime Minister who is being subjected to considerable pressure m
Parliament and elsewhere, will take the easy course and reconstitute the previous
committee under the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. of the British Adviser to the Ministry of b^ tei ‘ 1( ? r •
14. The “ Board of Education ” created by the new Regulation tor the
Organisation of the Ministry of Education which came into force m re >iuary
last was set up in April. It consists of the Minister of Education, two senior
officials from his department, four senior officials nominated respectively by the
Ministers of Education, Communications and Works, Economics and social
Affairs and four members elected by the seven persons already mentioned.
Professor Hamlev left for the United Kingdom on the 30th April to the great
regret of all his'colleagues and, as you know, His Majesty s Government are
trvino- to find a suitable successor. The summer holidays are now close at hand
and educational affairs are therefore likely to be put aside for some months in
favour of more urgent matters. It remains, however, as important as ever that the
schools and colleges of the country should be steadily improved and I shall
neglect no opportunity to continue to urge the Government to undertake the
necessary reforms. . . „
15. The Prime Minister has again been considering the reorganisation ot
the army and hopes to complete his plans during the summer months when he
expects to be free from parliamentary work. lie has told me that he has in mind
a force consisting of a mechanised and partially armoured division of about
10,000 strong, recruited from long service volunteers, backed by a provincial
militia to be "recruited by compulsory servicemen called up for an initial training
of about three to four months, with annual trainings of a fortnight or three
weeks. It has been reported to me from several sources that early m May the
Acting Chief of the Iraqi General Staff informed the officers of the Musaiyib
garrison that a brigade of the Iraqi army would probably be sent to Syria for war
duties at the end of June. He encouraged the officers to welcome such a develop
ment which he maintained would help towards the realisation of Arab union.
The Acting Chief of the General Staff never acts without the authority of his
Minister and his talk to the officers at Musaiyib shows that Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. still hopes
somehow to persuade His Majesty’s Government to reverse the decision given last
February not to accept the Iraqi Government's conditional offer of troops for
service outside Iraq. Two parties of Iraqi officers have recently visited the battle
fields of the Western desert of Egypt. They were most hospitably entertained
by the Commander-in-chief, Middle East, and much appreciated both the
kindness which they were shown and the opportunities which were given to them
to study modern developments in military strategy and tactics.
16^ Measures taken in February to prevent the smuggling of sheep out of
Iraq into Syria and Palestine unhappily caused some trouble with Saudi Arabia
and Syria. To prevent the passage of flocks across the border, the Iraqi
Government established a prohibited zone of fifty miles width along the whole
length of the western and southern frontiers. Tribesmen who, in accordance with
ancient customs, were honestly grazing their own flocks were not to be disturbed,
but all others were ordered to keep outside the zone and military and police patrols
were established to enforce this order. Unfortunately, at the beginning the
Government’s intentions were not made properly known to the local officials
concerned. In consequence some Syrian and some Saudi Arabian tribesmen were
hustled out of the zone with undue vigour, while others had their sheep confiscated
on the suspicion of being smugglers. On the Syrian frontier the local officials on
each side seem to have settled these incidents by direct contact and without
recourse to diplomatic action, but similar misunderstandings on the Saudi