Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [141r] (282/1144)
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.
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRIT ANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
May 13, 1943.
IRAQ.
MOST SECRET.
j ! ? [ > t r J\
I. f vfV r w . •
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E 2755/489/93]
Copy No.
*S? 7 ‘ A r Cornwallis to Mr. Eden .— {Received, \?>th May.)
(No. 143.) . XJ .
HIS Majesty’s Ambassador at Bagdad presents his compliments to His
Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour
to transmit to him a copy of a memorandum by Sir K. Cornwallis, dated the
26th April, 1943. for the Middle East War Council : The Present Situation m
Iraq.
Bagdad, s 2iSth April, 1943.
Enclosure.
The Present Situation in Iraq.
Memorandum by Sir Kinahan Cornwallis for the Middle hast War Council.
RELATIONS between Great Britain and Iraq are established on the
provisions of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of Alliance of 1930 and the Iraqi Govern
ment are at present carrying out satisfactorily their wartime obligations towards
His Majesty’s Government under article 4 of this treaty. With the co-operation
of the Iraqi Government Axis propaganda has been virtually eliminated and all
persons whose activities were seriously prejudicial to harmonious relations
between Great Britain and Iraq have been interned or have fled the country. In
January 1943 the Iraqi Government, entirely on their own initiative, declaied
w 7 ar on the Axis Powers and signed the declaration ot the United Nations. Since
then the Cabinet have been making a sincere, if not always very effective, effort
to improve the country’s economic contribution to the common war effort. Cui rent
relations with His Majesty’s Government may therefore justifiably be called good.
Internally the situation is tranquil, though there is a certain effervescence of
vouth, which tends at the moment to show a somewhat “ red tinge. These two
outstanding features of the present political situation, good relations with His
Majesty’s Government and internal tranquillity, which are in such contrast with
the hatred and strife of April and May 1941, are attributable to three mam
factors, the turn of the tide of the w 7 ar in our favour, the presence of strong
British forces, and the comparative calm of the contemporary political situation
in Palestine and Syria.
Iraq and Arab Union.
Since her earliest days Iraq has always been strongly represented in the van
of the pan-Arab movement, and her people have never failed to take a close and
deeplv sentimental interest in the political fortunes of her closest Arab neighbours
Palestine and Syria. The disturbances in Palestine in the late thirties diverted
attention from ideas of Arab unity and federation to the more urgent issue of the
fate of Palestine and her Arab population, and the outbreak of war with Germany
ao-ain, for a time, put into the background thoughts of rebuilding the Arab
empire of the past. Recently, however, faith in the ultimate victory of the United
Nations and confidence in the Atlantic Charter have brought about a revival of
activity directed towards a closer union of the now divided Arab states and
peoples. The statement made by Mr. Eden m the House of Commons on the
25th February of this year reaffirming the sympathy of His Majesty’s Government
with any movement among the Arabs to promote economic, cultural or political
unity has, moreover, acted as a spur to the political leaders who are now seeking
to formulate a scheme which will be able to command general approval.
The protagonists of the pan-Arab movement in Iraq are the veterans of the
Arab revolt of "the war of 1914-18. They have no declared programme, but there
[42-3]
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' [141r] (282/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229910.0x000055> [accessed 16 July 2026]
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- 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
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