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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [219v] (439/1144)
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.
-4-
8. Nevertheless, while it may he un&esirahle for His
Majesty's Government to put forward at the present moment
a wide scheme of political federation, it does not
necessarily follow that no action whatever should he- taken
in connexion with the vague Arab wishes for some form of
closer co-operation between the Arab States. On the e*
contrary, it appears to us that His Majesty’s Government
might suitably take action in two directions without
awaiting the end of the war. In the first place, since
Arab nationalism, and the desire for a closer unity between
the Arab States, is almost certain to grow, it is very
desirable to examine carefully the question of what our own
future policy should be, and what form v/e should prefer
that any future Arab co-operatign should take. Secondly, we
believe that there are~krei r tain restricted measures which ^
might usefully be taken even at the present junction, with *
a view to encouraging closer co-operation between'the nrab
States, In general, we accept the conclusion of His
] Majesty's representatives in Middle Eastern countries that
it would be useful to study now some restricted measures
of co-operation, with a view to showing practical sympathy
with the Arab cause, and willingness to assist in removing
some of the barriers which now separate the Arab States.
9. We have examined, as instructed in our terms of
reference, a number of schemes of Arab federations details
of which are summarised in the annex to this Report. V/e
would point out that, in drav/ing up these schemes, v/e
have ruled out any idea that some particular project should
be imposed on the Arabs by force. We cannot contemplate,
for example, a scheme for a federation under the supreme
control of Ibn Saud to whom all the other Arab States would
be invited, and,in the last resort,compelled to subordinate
themselves. The Ministerial meeting on the 26th September
recorded the view that ,f We could not force the Arab States
into federation”. We can only record our full agreement
with this conclusion.
10 « As a result of our examination of these schemes, we
have formed the opinion that Saudi Arabia, the Yemen, and
the other States of the Arabian Peninsula, are even more
unsuited to participate in a scheme of federation than the
less backward Arab countries further north. V/e are satisfied
that if experiments in federation are to have any prospect
of success they must at first be confined to Syria, the
Lebanon, Palestine and
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
. For the present our main
action should be in the direction of securing closer ^aoncmic
co-operation between these four territories, and the British .
j» 0 p 2 » 03 @fl t , kQ'tlves in the Middle East should be invited go draw
up a scheme on this economic (not political) basis for
consideration by His Majesty’s Government and, if approved
by them, by the Free French authorities. On the political
side, we should have no objection to the new independent Syria
and the Lebanon adhering to the existing treaty of^ A?ab
Brotherhood and Alliance”. On the cultural side, our
representatives in the Middle East could be asned to consider
what non-political projects of a cultural nature, dosigned
to establish closer harmony between the Arab States, are
deserving of encouragement.
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' [219v] (439/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x00002a> [accessed 18 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