Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎443r] (890/982)

CONFIDENTIAL.
E 1327/105/93]
Sir F. Humphry* to Sir John Simon
(No. 145.)
Sir, Bagdad, March 2, 1933.
AT an audience which I had with King Feisal on the 27th February, His
Majesty again referred to his dissatisfaction with some of the members of the
present Cabinet, and developed the views which I have already brought to your
notice in my telegram No. 32 of the 27th February. He explained that, while
the Ministers were all men of excellent character, and had, since they had been in
office, done their best to discharge their difficult functions, he felt bound tu
recognise that both individually and collectively they had not shown themselves
really competent to deal with the many important problems with which the
Government was at present confronted. They had come into office at a time when,
for a variety of reasons, it had not been possible to call upon others with more
experience who had previously shown greater efficiency and ability. Circum
stances had now happily changed. The results of the elections had given complete
satisfaction to all parties and groups, personal differences between public men
had been settled, and better and more capable men would now be willing to take
office if invited to do so. The Prime Minister had himself confessed that he felt
that his Cabinet was weak, and had consulted His Majesty as to the steps which
could be taken to strengthen it. What were my views'? Much work lay ahead
in which I was closely interested; did I not think that it would be done better if
some more experienced Ministers were introduced into the Cabinet?
2 I said that I assumed that His Majesty had in mind to bring into the
Cabinet members of the Opposition who were believed to be hostile to the policy
followed not only by the present Government but by the Government of
Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . It seemed to me that what the country required above all things
was a rest from political strife and leisure to pursue a sound economic policy for
its internal development. I reminded His Majesty that his previous efforts to
eradicate criticism by giving office to Opposition leaders had led to disastrous
results. These mixed Cabinets had been torn by internal jealousies, and had
never succeeded in producing any constructive programme for the benefit of the
country. I feared that it was inevitable that a similar fate would overtake any
so-called national Cabinet which might be formed at the present time, unless
His Majesty was able to hold it together by his own unaided efforts. I could
not conceive, for instance, that harmonious relations would long continue between
Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , or between either of them and the present Prime
Minister, without some powerful overriding influence being continuously at work
to bind them together. Moreover, the Opposition leaders had announced their
uncompromising hostility to the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930, and were determined,
so far as could be deduced from their public utterances, to agitate for the drastic
amendment of its terms. I warned the King not to attempt such a dangerous
experiment, unless he was assured of the genuine willingness of the political
leaders to work together without jealousy to promote their country s interests and
to observe loyally their treaty and other contractual obligations.
3 King Feisal agreed that the time for political agitation was definitely
past. He said that the opposition of Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and his friends towards the
treatv of 1930 had been based entirely on their personal hostility to Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. .. ,
That hostility was now a thing of the past, and neither they, nor any other
responsible Iraqi, wished to alter the terms of the existing alliance with Great
Britain. He said that, when Parliament assembled on the 8 th March, the Prime
Minister would make a statement on the Government s policy, and if, aftei this,.
Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. or anyone else joined the Cabinet, it would be cleai that they
accepted the Prime Minister’s programme. 1 need have no misgiving whatever
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