Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎468v] (941/982)

Minister who was prepared to work with a Parliament which had been elected
under Nun s auspices, and which consisted almost exclusively of his personal
su orters ? He f u il y realised that it was desirable that the Prime Minister
should have an opportunity of reporting to Parliament upon his mission, but was.
this claim so vital that he could take upon himself the responsibility of committnff
the Iraqi Treasury to an expenditure of 5 or 6 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees merely in order to satisfy
it? He begged me to advise him.
4 I pointed out in reply that, even if he were unsuccessful m inducing
Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. either to withdraw his resignation or to form a new Cabinet, I saw
no necessity whatever to dissolve a Parliament of whom the vast majority were
committed to the policy for which the King himself stood, nor did I think that it
would be difficult to find a Prime Minister who would be willing to assume office
with its support. With regard to the constitutional point. I said that I would,
if he desired it, take legal advice, but I could hardly believe that there was not
some way out of the technical difficulty to which he referred. I then expressed
the hope that he would find it possible to compose his differences with Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. ,
which did not appear to me from what he said to be so grave that there was no
hope. After promising to do his best, he asked me to consider the constitutional
question, and to take tea with him at his farm on the following day. He gave me
the impression that he would await the result of my enquiries before taking any
action in the matter.
5. The same evening Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. called upon me at my house and gave me
a different version of what had happened. He told me that on his arrival at
Alexandria the Iraqi consul-general, whose brother is King Feisal’s
Chamberlain, had informed him that it was the King’s intention to form a new
Government under Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , in which he was to be Minister for Foreign
Affairs, and had asked him whether he would accept office. He had naturally
declined to give any reply, or to discuss the question, but he had taken the first
opportunity after his return to Bagdad of asking the King what his intentions
really were. The King, while denying that he had arrived at any decision about
who was to be Prime Minister, had admitted that he wished to make a change,
and had called upon him to resign, which he had accordingly done, but he did
not make it clear to me that he had resigned officially. He did not believe that
the King had finally abandoned hope of employing Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , though he hoped
that the publication in Bagdad next day of an interview which the latter had
given to a Syrian journal would have this effect. I told him that I was to see
King Feisal again next evening, and he suggested that I should ask to be received
in the morning instead, as the King always became more difficult to deal with as
the day wore on. I accordingly sent a message to the palace asking for my
audience to take place in the morning, on the ground that the evening air would
be bad for my rheumatism, which was always liable to be aggravated by chills.
Io this I received a reply that the King much regretted that he was engaged all
ay and would receive me on Saturday morning. It is clear to me from what
subsequently transpired that he had purposely suggested an evening audience,
and that, even if I nad seen him at the time originally fixed, it would have made
no difference.
6^ Eaily on Saturday morning Sir Kinahan Cornwallis, who had
untortunately been away from Bagdad until Fridav afternoon, called at my
douse and we discussed the situation. He had had a long talk with Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
ir °? aS ^ 6 burned, and had found him very sore at the way he had been
treated and reluctant, m the circumstances, to take office again either as Prime
that a fV mi ?T^ Foreign Affairs. Sir Kinahan fully shared my view
’ - ’ ^so u ion of Parliament was both unnecessary and highly undesirable,
y Foreign Affairs. Sir Kinahan fully shared my view
and fnit o 0; C* ar * iamen t was both unnecessary and highly undesirable,
that an pffrfu v 1 ia consideration of prudence and policv demanded
in some form S ° U Jif mac ^ e to se 'cure Nuri Pasha’s continued retention in office
with Kino* Fpieaff 0 n er j at eaSt ^ 0r a ^ ecent period. My postponed audience
Nuri p a JLg tW ° 0 f V - h ace ^nediately afterwards. On the assumption that
hands and with th na K 0n ; w }* thev 0 ^ ial or unofficial, was still in the King’s
nf pfliuA W1 ^ ^ object of domg what I could to
of Parliament and it/ u / uoi ng wnat i could to avert a premature dissolution
mv fears 5 wbohl y appointment of Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. as Prime Minister,
I 'wished the KinPd b t e T revl '' ed b y what Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. had told me, I said that
said anything to nfe of fN hitentions 1 ' 01 " 18 ^ Seri ° US oonsideration before lle