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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [115v] (231/1144)
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.
(*) Not printed.
2
with the Orientai Counsellor. It is suggested that this apparently clumsy
intervention of INahas
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
may have far-reaching consequences and that the
Lebanese will probably now be confirmed in their suspicions that the Syrians
are out to devour them. It is further suggested that the Lebanese may revert
to the old lines of Christian policy instead of that of the present Sacred Union
between Muslims and Christians on the basis of independence. The result of
such an orientation would be a reversion of Christian feeling in the Lebanon ii
favour of Prance. The fear of Muslim domination is always lurking in the
minds of the Lebanese Christians.
8. The references of Jabri Bey to the Lebanese in the proces-verbal of his
separate discussions with Nahas
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
are enclosed in Lord Killearn's despatch
No. 1129 of the 8th December, 1943. The substance of these passages is that the
Greater Lebanon was created by force against the wish of its inhabitants; that all
Syrians yearn for a Greater Syria, but that they wish to settle the Lebanese question
in a friendly way; that, if the Lebanon remained outside a Greater Syria and
again became a focus of colonisation, Syria would have to reclaim the Muslim
provinces which had been unjustly added to the Smaller Lebanon. Jabri Bey also
referred to the difficulty of the religious, i.e., the Maronite, question. These
references to the Lebanese are fairly objective and moderate but they were
obviously not suitable for communication to the Lebanese, who are extremely
susceptible to any suggestions for the reduction of their present territories. The
declaration just made by the Maronite Patriarch, a press telegraphic version
of which is enclosed,(') would seem to be part of the Lebanese reaction to the
incident detailed above.
9. In this connexion, I would invite attention to the resolutions in the
first part of the Protocol limiting the right of the Arab States to conclude
agreements with non-rnembers to such as would not be contrary to the text or
spirit of the Protocol and forbidding foreign policies prejudicial to the policy
of the League or any one of its members. These resolutions may be aimed at
Franco-Lebanese or Franco-Syrian treaties such as France is anxious to con
clude.
10. As indicated in paragraph 3 above, it is not yet certain how much
practical effect will be given to these resolutions. Nevertheless, it would be
imprudent to ignore the fact that the result of this conference constitutes a
step forward towards the political solidarity of the Egypto-Arab world against
European encroachment. This political development will not only affect our
position in the Arab countries proper but also in Egypt, which is on the verge
of putting forward its claims for treaty revision, complete independence, &c.
The terms of these resolutions accentuate the unity of attitude to be adopted
by the States of the Egypto-Arab world towards States outside it, of which we
are the principal one. We are regarded as having promoted this Arab unity
movement, and the general feeling still is that we will welcome its fruition.
It is not impossible that this solidarity of the Egypto-Arab world may be
conciliated with our essential interests of communications and oil supplies,
provided we are able to adapt ourselves to the new conditions quickly enough.
If, however, in addition to securing arrangements for the safeguarding of our
above-mentioned interests we have also, in the interest of our world policy, to
adopt local policies in Syria and Palestine unacceptable to the Arabs, there is
little likelihood of our being able to bring a consolidated Middle East into
friendly co-operation. In that event, we should have to maintain these
essential interests of ours by force against a less disunited Egypto-Arab world.
11. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Minister Resident in the
Middle East; the High Commissioner for Palestine, Jerusalem; His Majesty’s
representatives at Beirut, Bagdad and Jedda; and the Governor, Aden.
I have, &c.
TERENCE SHONE.
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' [115v] (231/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229910.0x000022> [accessed 14 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