Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎153r] (306/1144)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (General).
-Y.
March 1, 1943.
M*L
CONFIDENTIAL.
With the ComilimsRt*
af ths
Section 1.
Op^DCT Undor a^3c*tary of Stat«
1 f or Foreign Af.&irs
ff 9 MAR 1343
rE 1196/506/65]
Copy No.
o 4
Office of the Minister of State to Foreign Office.-*—(Received March L)
Sir, Cairo, February 11, 1943.
WITH reference to Minister of State's telegram No. 193 of the 30th January
regarding the letter addressed to the Minister of State by the Prime Minister
of Iraq, with which was enclosed a “ Note on the Arab Cause, with Suggestions
for the Solution of its Problems,” I am directed by the Minister to transmit
to you herewith a copy of this communication. ,
2. In view of the statements in the opening paragraphs of the letter,
Mr. Casey regards the letter as a private and not as an official communication.
3. Copies of the letter and its enclosure are being sent to His Majesty’s
Ambassador in Cairo, His Majesty’s Minister at Beirut and the High Com
missioner for Palestine.
I am, &c.
H. L. d’A. HOPKINSON.
Endosurc. '
Office of the Prime Minister to the Minister of State. ‘ * ‘ f
My dear Mr. Casey, Bagdad, January 14, 1943.
AFTER our conversation about the future of the Arab States I decided to
follow your advice and write a memorandum on the subject showing my personal
interpretation of the problems facing us and putting foward my suggestions
for their solution. The attached note has been prepared by me in my personal
I capacity, and although I know that several of my colleagues and other Iraqi
leaders have similar views, yet I do not wish it to be regarded in any way as a
statement of the Iraqi Government’s policy.
As you are very busy these idays and cannot be expected to read up the
details of pledges and promises made twenty-four years ago, and all the
discussions that have taken place since, I have tried to give as briefly as possible
a summary of what has happened since the end of the last war. While my
reading of the past differences between the Arabs and the British and the French
is perhaps not unnaturally coloured, I have for the purpose of this note treated
the subject as objectively as I can.
In view of the recent activities of Zionist organisations in England and
America I feel that some declaration should be made by Great Britain and the
United States regarding the future of the Arab territories which formerly
formed part of the Ottoman Empire. The Palestine Post on the 2nd November,
1942, gave prominence to a report of a public demonstration held in London
on the 1st November under the auspices of the Zionist Federation. Messages
of sympathy were sent by a number of prominent persons who are entitled to
their own views, but we were surprised that two serving Secretaries of State
sent messages of sympathy. The Zionist Federation has always declared that
by a national home in Palestine they mean an independent Jewish State and
sympathy with Zionism implies support of their policy of creating such a State
in Palestine, although the British Government has frequently and categorically
declared that that is not her policy.
In Iraq we are not allowing news of this kind to be published, as we do
not want Arab feeling to be inflamed against the Jews and the British. But,
if the Zionists and their sympathisers are allowed to continue their propaganda,
it will be very difficult for Arab leaders to restrain Arab journalists and
politicians from initiating counter-propaganda in the Arab States. Unfortun
ately, in England and America, friends of the Arab cause have always experienced
m-eat difficulty in securing publicity for their views, and now in war time the
position is worse owing to the shortage of nevEjiilfaaflftff. MtlTOYfil,
[39—39]