Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎92r] (183/290)

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later date as a lever to stir up trouble and discontent. This was,
however, a question for discussion, (iii) Assuming that we were
convinced—and he thought there could be no question on this
point—that we were on the wrong lines, should we await the return
of Sir Percy Cox and the receipt of his considered opinions on the
spot before taking any steps towards the working out of a
constitution for Mesopotamia, or should we attempt to find some
man or some body of men to formulate a scheme either in London
or in Mesopotamia ? Sir Percy Cox could not return there before
January. Meanwhile, we had to take into consideration the
tendency of administrations to take Procrustean forms; all who
had any experience in administration would bear him out in this.
The administrative system was liable to become ironbound, and the
longer it was left to develop unchecked the more difficult it became
to break loose from it.
Other suggestions that had been put forward were that we
should introduce Mussulman officials from India ; that we should
consult the notables of Mesopotamia; that should give our
Mesopotamian critics in the Syrian administration an opportunity
of visiting their own country and putting forward proposals , and
that a larger number of older men should be employed in the
Mesopotamian administration. He had been rather horrified at a
recent report, from which he observed that the average age of over
200 assistant political officers in Mesopotamia was not more
than thirtv. He yielded to no one in his admiration of the young
British officer, whom he regarded as one of the finest products
of civilisation. But young officers Were sometimes inclined to pass
high-handed judgments which caused offence to native communities,
and tne restraining influence of a few older officials might perhaps
counteract this tendency.
Mr. Montagu put forward an alternative for the consideration of
the Conference- The difficulty he felt about modifying the military
administration was that the technical objection to introducing civil
government while the country was under military occupation could
not really be removed until peace had been signed. W ould it not
be possible to let our officials know that while we fully realised that
the existing system was the best improvisation compatible with
military occupation, we considered that the time had novy come to
lay the foundations of a future constitution on the lines which would
be best adapted to future requirements ? Such a declaration,
combined with the return of Sir Percy Cox, not as Civil Commissioner
nor even as High Commissioner, but only as an adviser on the form
of the future constitution, would, he thought, have the required
effect of allaying the suspicions of our various critics.
The Chairman pointed out that Sir Percy Cox could not be
spared until January. In view of the difficulties of communication
between Teheran and Baghdad it was not worth while to invite him
to visit Mesopotamia to give this advice before he finally left
Teheran. He thought, however, that we might as well put the whole
case ta Sir Percy Cox by telegram. We might explain to him the
considerations which led" us to the conclusion that some further step
was required immediately, and ask him whether he considered
it advisable or practicable that any such steps as those which had
been proposed should be taken before he returned to Mesopotamia.
He would be glad to know to what extent the War Office were
prepared to hand over military departments to the Civil
Ad ministration.
Colonel Gribbon pointed out that the actual handing over of
military departments to the; civil administration involved the working
out of technical details which were the province of the Quarter
master-General’s Department. He regretted that time had not
permitted of the War Office preparing a detailed statement of the
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