Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎137r] (273/290)

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Works, Justice, Waqf, Revenue and Interior, he said that these
Departments, or something very like them, already existed. He
had himself been responsible for initiating a departmental framework
in such branches of the administration ( Justice, Waqf, Education,
Re venue and, to some extent, Interior) as had in the early days ot
the occupation been entrusted to him by Sir Percy Cox. That
framework had been maintained and developed, and there would be
little difficulty in distributing portfolios. Indeed this course had
been recommended by Colonel Howell a year and a half ago. For
the Finance and Public Works Department it would be impossible
to find Arabs who knew the ABC of the work. In the Judicial
Department, on the other hand, 83 per cent, of the officials were
already Arabs, and a very respectable figurehead could be found.
For the Waqf Department also, it would be possible to find a man.
For the Education Department there had always been an Advisory
Committee, and he thought that it might be possible to find a
Minister. In the Revenue Department the Arab Minister would
have to lean a good deal on his British Secretary, and, in technical
matters, would be little more than a figurehead.
The Chairman observed that this was not a very powerful
Cabinet, and that there would be a good deal of leaning in it.
Colonel Godwin said that he had met at Aleppo and elsewhere
in Syria many Baghdad officers who were, in his opinion, quite
capable of undertaking a portfolio.
The Chairman thought the case of the Baghdad officers in
Syria should be taken into careful consideration. He asked what
the Legislative Assembly were to do. His own view was that its
formation should be postponed until the time came for it to approve
the Organic Law.
Mr. Montagu thought that the Legislative Assembly would
serve a useful purpose, as the right of interpellation would keep
Arab Ministers up to the mark. Supposing that the Civil
Commissioner were to proceed at once wir,h his scheme, we had only
two years in which a great deal had to be done. The Arab President
and his Ministers would have to be selected and approved and the
Council formed. This would take time and the two years would be
almost over before the preliminaries had been settled. Replying to
a question by the Chairman, he agreed that the arrival of Sir Percy
Cox must be awaited before any definite appointment could be made ;
but an announcement might be made of the kind of provisional
constitution which Sir Percy would set up on his arrival. Pie would
presumably not be available until the autumn. He would then have
to work out his Organic Law with his Council, submit it to London
for approval, and la\ it before the Legislative Assembly.
The Chairman remarked that this was in effect postponing the
convocation of the Legislative Assembly until the time came for it
to he consulted on the Organic Law. lie saw no objection to this.
What he was nervous of was of the possibility of the Legislative
Assembly sitting there with nothing to do, like a Persian Mejilis.
Meanwhile it would he necessary to have some native authority in
Baghdad to advise Sir Percy Cox in his drafting of the Organic
Law. He did not know whether he was more relieved or distressed
at Mr. Garbett’s description of the Arab gentlemen who would be
available.
Sir John Tilley asked why if four of the Ministers were to be
merely leaners on, all six should not be. This would avoid British
participation in what was nominally an Arab Government. British
officials might join the Council without portfolios.
Mr. Garbett thought it would be a mockery to appoint Arab
Ministers of Finance and Public Works. He was strongly opposed to
the advisory system, which accentuated race distinction, and thought