Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎154v] (309/1144)

But the Arabs were gravely disappointed after the war, which ended with
victory for the Allies, with whom they had joined and with whom they had fought,
relying on their pledges to secure Arab independence. At the Peace Conference
the Arabs realised that their victorious Allies had gone back on their promises.
In fact, the treatment which the Arabs received from their Allies was worse than
that accorded to the vanquished, who were not placed under any form of tutelage.
The Allies divided the Arab territory amongst themselves according to secret,
treaties granting themselves mandates over these regions, in spite of the strontf^
protests of all Arab leaders. These mandates were harder for the Arabs to bear
than the old Ottoman rule. The mandatory system broke up the Arab territories
into a number of separate administrations and was an arrangement which, if
persisted in, would destroy Arab unity for ever. Iraq was placed under Great
Britain, as was Southern Syria, and Northern Syria was handed over to France.
Only the Arab States of the Arabian Peninsula were allowed complete
independence.
During the last twenty years the Arabs have tried in every way to attract
the attention of the civilised world to the wrong that has been done to them;
they have constantly endeavoured to persuade world opinion of the justice of
their cause and have struggled incessantly to obtain their independence. This
mandatory system adopted by the Allies of the last Great War was obnoxious to
the freedom-loving Arabs, who resent any form of tutelage. It has been the
cause of all the disturbances, rebellions, boycotts and ill-will which have existed
in these Arab countries and which still threaten their peace.
Iraq.
Iraq had been a mandated territory till 1932. when, by the exertions of her
own people and aided by the British Government, she obtained her independence
and was admitted to the League of Nations in the same year. Ever since her
independence, Iraq has been chiefly interested in her own affairs, following the
path of development and advancement which can be seen in all the fields of her
activities. She is bound to Great Britain by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of Alliance
of 1930 under the terms of which both States co-operate with complete under
standing to the mutual benefit of both parties.
Iraq is not merely a neighbour of other Arab countries, she is closely connected
to them by the strongest linguistic, racial, religious, cultural, economical and other
ties. In addition, Iraq shares with her neighbouring Arab countries the ideal
of Arab unity which it is ultimately hoped will be realised. Without such
union the Arabs will never be able to have their proper place in the world and
regain their past glory, of which they are so rightly proud.
Iraqis believe that such an Arab union can only be effected by securing true
independence for all Arab countries, which, in the course of time, will make
their choice as to the nature of the union which suits them best and fully
guarantees their interests. These considerations have made Iraqis always respond
to happenings in the neighbouring sister Arab countries and take an intense
interest in them. Whatever happens in Syria or Palestine has some repercussion
in Iraq. Although for centuries the Jews enjoyed complete liberty in Iraq and
lived on excellent terms with their Moslem neighbours, yet violent anti-Jewish
feeling has been aroused by the events in Palestine. This hostility has been
fanned by German radio propaganda. As a result, in 1941, when an interregnum
existed in Iraq and the forces of law and order were out of hand the mob looted
the peaceful non-Zionist Jews of Bagdad and murdered a number of them.
For this reason responsible statesmen in the Arab States where large Jewish
communities are residing are always apprehensive of the effect in their own
countries of what happens in Palestine. This also applies to all that occurs in
the non-independent Arab regions.
Northern Syria: the present mandated territories of Syria and the Lebanon.
This was the most advanced of all the Arab provinces. The Syrians were
the first to begin the Arab National Movement for independence. American and
French universities and schools have been propagating learning and ideas of
freedom among Arabs in Syria for over eighty years. In consequence Syria not
only has a very numerous highly educated and cultured class of lawyers, doctors
and arts graduates, but has a population with a highly-developed political spirit.
In spite of the fact that Syria and the Lebanon are not less civilised than
many European countries, the unsound mandatory system which has been imposed
upon tlhem has impoverished them and created dissension among their peoples,
leading to frequent disturbances and disorder. The Syrian Arabs have seized