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File 978/1917 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration; occupation of Baghdad; the proclamation; Sir P Cox's position' [65v] (135/402)
The record is made up of 1 volume (195 folios). It was created in 6 May 1917-8 Oct 1919. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
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8. Telegraphing to the War Office on the 9th July 1917 (No.
X. 2782) General Maude took strong exception to the proposals con
tained in the Secretary of State's telegram. He adhered to the views
pressed in Sir P. Cox’s telegram of the 7th April (see. paragraph 2). He
pointed out that the military position at Baghdad was still insecure and that
further severe fighting was to be anticipated in the autumn and winter. He
expressed no anxiety as to the result “provided my hands are not otherwise
tied and we are not swamped by numbers,” but went on to make an appeal
for a “ free hand ” in the following terms :—
“I would ask that I should be given every opportunity to concentrate my
whole energies on this issue, and that development of civil
administration of Baghdad Vilayet, except as regards such matters
as clearly do not clash with military necessity, and which we are
already taking in hand, should wait until we are securely established
here once for all. We are engaged in a vast war, the issues of which
are vital, and it seems to me that if w r e attempt to combine general
development of country with defeat of enemy, we shall be attempting
too much, and we shall fail. A commander in the field has great
responsibilities, and he must devote every moment available to task
before him in order to ensure success.
“If, then, civil considerations which may conflict with military interests
are urged upon him repeatedly, though, no doubt, unintentionally,
owing, perhaps, to military situation not being viewed exactly in
true perspective, and if he is not free to resist them, his anxieties
and his already heavy duties will be considerably increased, and. his
attention will be constantly distracted from what is for time being
the main issue. It is one thing for a commander to know instinctively,
as he should do, when a project will prejudice his military plans ; it
is another matter for him amid stress of war to have to justify 'his
opinion. For instance, should proposals which would hamper
General Officer Commanding’s plans be propounded, General Officer
Commanding would then, in forwarding them, have to record for you
reasons for differing, and in order to do so intelligently at this
distance from England, much time and labour would be necessary,
possibly at a time of great pressure, and even then his points mioffit
not.be made quite, clear to those unfamiliar with .existing local
military considerations. For these reasons I would submit very
earnestly for consideration that we should first concentrate our whole
energies on winning the war, and that future of this country which
has already waited development so long will not be seriously
prejudiced even if certain steps on road of progress Jhave to wait
another year.
“ I can assure His Majesty’s Government that I realise that it is not only
my duty, but that it is up wish, to see that development of
civil administration of this country shall be pushed forward as far as
can com eniently be done without conflicting with military necessities
The many dnections m which such development is taking place
already are best proof in support of this statement.”
9. Sir P. Cox’s comments on the proposals of His Majesty’s Govern
ment^ were communicated in a telegram dated the 25th July 1917
(No. 27 68). He explained that the views expressed in his telegram of the
t tn April [see paragraph 2) were based on the experience of the preceding
two and a half years,, but that the events of the past three months had caused
him to modify his opinion to some extent for the following reasons :
“ Granted that we. are both imbued with the fullest desire to make good
assurances which we have given to Government, yet in practice many
difficult questions arise in regard to which there is room for
considerable divergence of view as to what is or is not in the interests
of Government or'in harmony with spirit of their policy, and even in
our own particular sphere neither Army Commander nor I can lay r
About this item
- Content
This volume contains correspondence, reports, telegrams and minutes regarding negotiations and administration, largely between 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. , Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox, and the Government of India, after the occupation of Baghdad (Fall of Baghdad) on 10 March 1917. The negotiations concern the administrative organisation and political control of Mesopotamia, as well as the external and internal boundaries of Iraq (also spelled Irak in the volume).
Related matters of discussion include the following: the text of the Baghdad proclamation; the future administration of the territory by the Foreign Office instead of the Government of India; the regulation of the new territory; the responsibilities of the Chief Political Officer in the new territory; the Turco-Persian frontiers. The correspondence in the volume is internal correspondence between British officials. The principal correspondents are as follows: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox; Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude; the War Office; the Secretary of State for India; the Political Department, 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. ; the Under-Secretary of State for India; the Viceroy of India; the Government of India’s Foreign and Political Department; the Foreign Office; the Government of India.
In addition to this correspondence, the volume contains reports of the War Cabinet's Mesopotamia Administration Committee, as well as the following documents: memoranda on external frontiers and internal boundaries of Iraq (ff 17-18) (ff 20-25); a map of Arabia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (f 28);
The file includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the front of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (195 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
The subject 5320 (Mesopotamia Negotiations) consists of two volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/666-667. The volumes are divided into two parts, with each part comprising one volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 197; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-195; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 978/1917 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration; occupation of Baghdad; the proclamation; Sir P Cox's position' [65v] (135/402), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/666, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100075826204.0x000088> [accessed 21 December 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/666
- Title
- File 978/1917 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration; occupation of Baghdad; the proclamation; Sir P Cox's position'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:27v, 29r:111v, 113r:120r, 121r:133v, 134ar:134av, 134r:139v, 140ar, 140r:145v, 149r:154v, 155ar, 155r:196v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence