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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [283r] (566/1144)
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.
HQTK OH PRQ3PSCTS OF '* JV
SOLUTION OP THE PAI^STINE PROBLEM.
It is necessary* first# to drav/ attention to the
fact that the term ”Pe derat ion 1 * has heen used p in x*elation
to Pales tine ? in at least three different senses:*
(a) to describe a federal system confined to Palestine
and hardly distinguishable from ** cantonisation*'„ This
form of federation was rejected by the Royal Commission
(Chapter XXI). but a letter which the surviving members of
the Committee wrote to the Times on 22*5*59* after the
publication of the White Paper# shows that they thought
that federation might have some chance of success if it
covered a wider field;
(b) to describe a wider federal system comprising all
or most of the so-called "Arab World" (Iraq# Baud! Arabia#
Syria, Palestine# Trans-Jordan and at times even figypt)*
This conception is one which has not infrequently been
ventilated for many years past in "Arab circles as part
of their campaign for the unification of the Arab world*
It received little prominence, but periodic mention# in the
English parliament or press until after the White paper
(published in May 1939) failed to receive the assent either
of the Jews or the Arabs;
(c) "Federation" frequently appears as a mistranslation
of what the "Arabs" did in fact want# namely "tauhid" # l 0 e.
"unification". This does not necessarily imply a federal
system at all; but "federation" was usually the word used
in English to describe the Arab aspiration.
2. I assume that "federation" in its true sense implies,
not hegemony by any one party, but a union constituted for
economic*and other purposes and involving the relinquishment
of certain sovereign rights by each of a number of independent
states and the pooling of those rights in the hands of a
federal government# with the result that a union is formed
in which the several parties retain autonomy in internal
administrative matters.
a distinction between "federation" of this kind, however
faulty my attempted definition, and the "unification" to
which the "Arabs" aspire.
3. The original impetus towards unification of the
"Arab world" was political in its conception and naturally
came from the "Arabs" themselves. It dates back to the
period of the war of 1914-1918. For the purpose of presenting
a united front and obtaining full value from H.M.G’s pledges,
the "Arabs" represented themselves as being a single race
with the same ideals, having as one of their objects the
consolidation of their various units into a single political
whole. The acceptance of this theoretic unity would entitle
all alike to claim benefit by participation in the promises
of Independence which had been given.
In the following paragraphs I have tried to maintain
In
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' [283r] (566/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x0000a9> [accessed 15 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