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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [48r] (96/1144)
The record is made up of 1 file (570 folios). It was created in 21 Dec 1932-5 Mar 1948. It was written in English and French. 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.
- 2 -
root has many compound derivations. Take a few:-
: Aruba - to be an Arab, or to speak (distinctly)
f Arraba = to Arabicize pr to speak on behalf of someone
A’raba to express oneself (clearly).
So, whatever i.e may think that Arab Federation means, it clearly
means to the Arabs themselves a Federation of reasonable human
beings, who are able to make themselves understpod in a
civilized language. In fact, the word jt Arab is often used
without much more connotation thaii '’men' .
5. This seems to throw a good deal of lighi' on the suggestions
which are sometimes made for ”guiding Arab Federation into
• . . » "i n a T -■ X X 1 ~ ^ Via H A • nil T. 1 1
innocuous channels”. A little can perhaps be done; but it will
by full adult diplomacy. The day.of mandates is
’ J tutelage will be unacceptable
have to be
ending, and anything savouring of tu
to a Federation of the clear-speaki
ng men
6. Tfe may perhaps first see what obiectives the Arabs have
set themselves in ':heir move to Federation. For this, it is
necessary to read the Alexandria Protocol, and it is accordingly
reproduced as an appendix to this paper. It will be seen that
its avowed objectives are innocuous in the extreme, and consist
merely of cultural, social and economic cO“Operation t and the
execution of the Arab League’s decision on States which agree
to accept them. The question remains whether, and if so when,
this is likely to develop into a full political federation.
7. The Protocol certainly foreshadows the possible use of
coercion against recalcitrant members. The Council of the
League of Arab States, when formed, will ”execute agreement^"
independently arrived at by member States. Its decisions will
only be binding on those who accept them, unless the point has
been referred tor arbitration, in which case the decisions
W will have t o b e. carried_put”. No State ” a
foreign policy prejudicial lo the League.
8. Now it is clear that the three points contained in the
quoted passages do imply a possible use of sanctions by the^
League against recalcitrant members, although at the same time
"it is forbidden to have recourse to force to settle % conflicts
between two States of the League”. It is hard to imagine what
economic or other sanctions could be imposed, e.g. by
Saudi Arabia on Iraq, or by Egypt on
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
, that would
have much effect.
9. Azzan Bey has tacitly recognized this defect in a
pronouncement m which he said that M public # opinion is 89
firmly behind us that within a very snort time the Council
will nave the same authority and prestige as the American
Supreme Court, and no member State will feel itself strong
enough to disregard the Council’s decisions”. The same ideal
might, however, be said to have been the swan song of the
Leagu© °f Nations, while at San Francisco the world is
evidently building rn a more realistic appreciation of human
nature.
f
About this item
- Content
This file concerns the British Government's response to the Pan-Arab movement during the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the correspondence refers to the prospect of an Arab federation, although the use of the word 'federation' is noted in some of the correspondence as being a mistranslation of the original Arabic expression, which would be more accurately represented by the words 'unification' or 'unity'.
Significant subjects of discussion include:
- Arab party politics in Palestine.
- Iraqi-Egyptian relations.
- Italian propaganda in the Middle East.
- The future of Palestine.
- Britain's post-war policy in the Middle East.
- Whether the Arab states should be induced to make a wartime declaration in favour of the democracies (i.e. the Allies).
- The formation of the Arab League (also referred to as the Arab Federation in the correspondence).
- Details of the Pact (also referred to as Covenant) of the Arab League, signed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.
- Whether representatives of the Arab League should be present at the Palestine Conference in London, in 1947, in addition to representatives of Arab states.
Notable correspondents include the following: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the High Commissioner for Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad; the High Commissioner for Egypt; His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo; the High Commissioner for Palestine; His Majesty's Minister at Jedda; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; the Minister of State in the Middle East; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, 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. , the Commonwealth Relations Office, and the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. 's External Affairs Department; Noury Said [Nūrī al-Sa‘īd], Prime Minister of Iraq; George Antonius, Lebanese-Egyptian author and diplomat.
Also included with the correspondence are the following:
- Extracts from Palestine police summaries dating from 1933 to 1936, produced by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jerusalem.
- A printed copy of a paper on Arab federation by the Foreign Research and Press Service, dated 20 June 1941.
- Copies of documents produced by the War Cabinet's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East (also referred to as the Middle East (Official) Committee), including minutes of meetings (1941-1942) and a copy of a report on Arab Federation, dated January 1942.
- A copy (in French) of the Protocol of the Preparatory Committee for the Arab Congress, dated 7 October 1944.
- Copies of the Pact/Covenant of the recently formed Arab League (consisting of a printed copy in French, distributed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an English translation of the full Arabic text, which includes a passage that was omitted from the French version).
The French material consists of the aforementioned Protocol and Arab League Pact, plus one item of correspondence and a copy of a newspaper extract.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2-3).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (570 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 571; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two previous foliation sequences, which are also circled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [48r] (96/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229909.0x000063> [accessed 17 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2110
- Title
- Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 9r:24v, 27r:59v, 61r:62v, 73r:78v, 82r:93v, 95r:103v, 105r:106v, 111r:111v, 113r:115v, 118r:120v, 122r:132v, 134r:152v, 158r:199v, 201r:265v, 273r:354v, 356r:381v, 384r:394v, 398r:407v, 410r:516v, 518r:565v, 567r:571v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence