Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎54r] (107/290)

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be restricted, and he proposed, on his return to Mesopotamia, to
make regulations under military auspices, putting them, if possible,
in legal form with a view to restricting immigration. The
restrictions would be aimed not against races but against
occupations. He proposed to restrict the immigration of such
trades and professions as agriculturists, day-labourers, petty
shopkeepers, money-lenders, &c. He was aware that this policy
might cause some political trouble, but, in view of the wishes of the
inhabitants of the country and of the policy of the Peace Conference,
he considered it necessary. He proposed to carry it out by means
of a proclamation by the General Officer Oommanding-in-Chief, whicli
would put it on a legal basis. Then, as soon as the fence
Conference had granted the mandate for the country, the mandatory
power could by a simple enactment put all these quasi military
regulations into force and give them the sanction of civil law.
In connection with immigration and colonisation there arose
the question of alienation of land. He was continually receiving
applications for permission to buy land from companies in Egypt,
from small owners, from Indian banks, and from private individuals,
such as Sassoon. The existing regulations forbade any alienation
of land except to Arabs of the.occupied territories unless previous
permission had been granted by the Revenue Commissioners, and
this was held to exclude locally born Jews. No distinction was
made. Applications from French or British sources would be dealt
with impartially. He wanted a definite recommendation of policy
by this Conference.
The Conference decided that for the present the regulations for
the restriction of the alienation of land should remain in
force, and that Colonel Wilson’s proposals with regard to
immigration be approved.
r
Post-W ar
Garrisons.
7. Colonel Wilson said that he had submitted a Memorandum on
the subject of using the King’s African Rifles in the place ol Indian
troops, and that the matter was being dealt with by the War Office.
The force at present in Mesopotamia, known as the Army of
Occupation, consisted of two divisions; he did not know how far
it was contemplated as a permanent force, or whether the post-war
garrison would be much less than this number, but it was quite
clear that Mesopotamia could not expect to pay out of its own
revenue for the maintenance of so large a body of men. The cost
of cantonments and barracks alone for this force was estimated at
between 4,000,000/. and 7,000,000/.
He suggested that it should be considered what could be done
to reduce the two divisions by substituting local Arab levies.
Eight thousand of these levies had already been raised by the Civil
Administration, and there seemed no reason to doubt that with
adequate reinforcements within easy reach it should be possible to
replace at least a portion of the regular force by this means. Within
twelve months of the appointment of a mandatory power, it should
be possible to garrison the country 'with a iorce consisting of the
present number of British troops, half the present number of Indian
troops, and an increased number of Arab levies under civil
administrative control under British officers. It would mean a
considerable saving, and it was politically desirable to decrease the
number of Indian troops in the country.
General Raddiffe said that the War Office would be only too
delighted to consider any such proposal, and suggested that Colonel
Wilson should submit a Memorandum to the General Staff.
Colonel Wilson said the grounds on which he would put forward
the proposal would be the increased cheapness of the new system.
It was important for the future of Mesopotamia that the expense of
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