Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎140r] (279/290)

5
K<
#
from his answer to the private telegram which was despatched to
him in last November that he was rather more Wilsonian in his
outlook than we were. There was a fear that Sir Percy Cox, whose
right-hand man Colonel Wilson had been for some time, might adopt
a more Wilsonian attitude than we wished him to. If he were
imbued with Colonel Wilson’s opinions, as he might quite possibly
be if he remained in Baghdad now, the start of his High Commis-
sionership would be vitiated. It appeared preferable that he should
remain in Mesopotamia for perhaps a month, in order to enable him
to consult all classes of the people, and then to come home and
discuss the position with His Majesty’s Government. Mr. Montagu
appeared to consider it necessary that Sir A. Wilson sho Id remain
in Baghdad during Sir Percy Cox’s absence. He asked whether the
Conference really considered this possible. Colonel W ilson was a
man whom we could not help admiring, and whom the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.
had very loyally supported on the occasions when it appeared
necessary to fight his battles. At the same time, it was obvious
from the whole series of telegrams that he could not bring himself
to carry out the policy which the Conference had consistently
advocated. What did he say now? He said that there were only
two alternatives : either to hold Mesopotamia by force or to clear out
altogether. His own opinion, in which he felt sure that the Confer
ence concurred, was that we should continue the middle course of
retaining our position in the country with the goodwill of the people.
It was a great pity that Colonel b\ ilson had been left so long
in Mesopotamia, though this had been rendered necessary by the
grip which he had obtained over the local situation. He did not
know enough about the qualifications of the other officers of the
Administration to make a concrete suggestion for his replacement,
but he should like to submit to the Conference that both Sir Percy
Cox and Colonel Wilson should come home together, and that some
senior officer should act as Civil Commissioner in their absence.
Mr. Montagu pointed out that Sir A. Wilson had always been
verv outspoken in his opinions, but that, so far as he was aware, he had
never failed in loyalty to the decision of His Majesty’s Government.
The Conference had decided at their last meeting on the subject that
no actual steps should be taken until Sir Percy Cox took over the
High Commissionership. He was reluctant to do anything which
might appear to cast a slur on a man who had done such amazing
work for the Empire. His abounding energy had resulted in a
concentration in his own hand of so many activities that it would be
very difficult to find anyone to take his place during the interregnum.
Sir Edgar Bonham Carter, whose name had been suggested, was, as
the Conference would remember, the author ol the scheme for the
future constitution which hud been rejected as too British. He
doubted whether he would make a good locum tenens.
The Chairman remarked that, if there was nothing to be done
until Sir Percy Cox’s return, he did not see why some local official
should not be “able to carry on. He did not suggest Colonel Wilson’s
recall as a slur, but only as an opportunity for consulting him.
Local representatives were often summoned to advise His Majesty’s
Government when the latest information was required about distant
countries. (Mr. Montagu interjected that representatives summoned
for this purpose had a way of not going back again.) 1 he whole
bent of Colonel Wilson’s mind was wrong, and the presence at the
head of the Administration of a man whose ideas were wrong
was not in his opinion practicable. He did not know more about
Sir Edgar Bonham Carter than that he had come from Egypt with a
very good record, and he was not in a position to pi ess for his
appointment. At the same time he was convinced that if Colonel
Wilson were left in Mesopotamia even for three months it would
certainly be a drawback. W ith regard to the proposed deputation,
Mr Montagu had referred to the possible efiects of a refusal, and