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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III' [148r] (296/549)
The record is made up of 1 file (272 folios). It was created in 22 Jun 1918-5 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.
R K T,
jti o
Oi
(I3 1
/'S
From: - G-.0. C . Mesopotamia. j - Desp. 14.25 7.1.19.
To:*- V/ar Office -repeated C. in C. India. Rood. 18.30 8.1.19.
X 4889. J fin.7 th. Reference India’s 103818 Ci.M.G.13 Jan. 1st.
I ivculd put forward the follovring vievrs after consultation with
Civil Commissioner.
1. It would appear to me that in.thijS country railway.policy is
primiraily fixed not by civil requirements but by (1 ^r.undecipherable)
1 & strategy considerations. As soon as His Majesty’s Govt, have made a
"decision as to what further construction is required on the above
grounds the Civil Authorities can put forward their own requirements &
an estimate of future personnel & materials can then be framed.
^2, It is open to doubt as regards economic conditions whether con
struction cannot be more economically carried out under present
conditions than under ordinary peace conditions but already we are
considering reduction of personnel for maintainence of open lineb
referred to in para.B of India’s wire. It would certainly not bo
economical before the civil Govt.aro in a position to replace it
without loss of continuity to allow the present organization to break
up. It would appear preferable to intimate as definitely as possible
& as early as possible the conditions under which personnel will
owrute after peace & this if authorized by His Majesty’s Govt. Civil
L Commissioner is prepared to formulate. YJo should them he able to say
what personnel would be willing to stay in this country & what would be
required from India or elsewhere. It might be possible for Civil
Commissioner then to arrange the recruitment of new personnel in India
or elsewhere•
3. It will be seen from the above that the first requirement is for His
Majesty* s @ovt.to lay down definitely what the future railway policy is
to be & what lines are required for personnel & (1 gr .unde ciphenable)
purposest Also the sooner the powers alluded to above are given to
the flivil ComisS ion or the less will be the loss of continuity a
consequent efficiency.
a n m w i ^ D.D.M.O. M»0• 2 . F. 1,5• I).8.h.
C.2.Copies tb,- fi.F. F.W.5. D.O.Mob.
D.D.Mbb.a. D.D.Mob.b* Mob.2. S. D.2a(Hob.C) D.O. A.G.l
LJ / s)
f
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence and notes regarding rail and road transportation in Mesopotamia [Iraq] near the end of, and immediately following, the First World War. The papers cover several matters, including:
- The construction, conversion, maintenance, and expansion of the railways in the region, including regular progress reports from the Director of Railways, Baghdad
- Supply of railway materials, rolling stock, and personnel
- A proposed survey of Persia [Iran] for the purposes of railway building
- Demobilisation planning
- Transition from military to civil administration
- Expenditure
- A proposal for a direct Baghdad-Haifa line.
Correspondents include: the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egypt; the Chief of Imperial General Staff; the Director of Railways, Baghdad; the War Office; the Commander-in-Chief, Army Headquarters, India; the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Mesopotamia; the Chief of the General Staff, India; the Director General of Movements and Railways, War Office; and the High Commissioner at Constantinople [Istanbul].
- Extent and format
- 1 file (272 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the rear to the front.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 274; 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; these numbers are written in coloured crayon.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III' [148r] (296/549), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/789, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100094917080.0x000061> [accessed 27 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/789
- Title
- 'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:30r, 30av, 30v:273v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence