File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎91v] (193/586)

The Committee was charged with the duty of chosing a residence for the Amir Faisal and
arranging the programme of reception. It was added that the Ministry of Finance must sunnlv
the necessary funds. ^
2. On June 16 the High Commissioner addressed a letter to the Council of State touehin
the three persons who were sentenced in connection with the Istiqla! e^se (See No. 11, para lof
H.E. pointed out that though their prosecution was undertaken under the ordinary provision
of the Baghdad Penal Code it was difficult to consider their offence as being other than of 8
political nature. Instructions having been received from H.M.6. that the terms of the amnestv
might advisedly be extended to offences Committed since the rising, the High Commissioner in
vited an expression of the views of the President and Council and suggested certain conditio™
on which the persons might be released. DS
The letter was considered at the meeting of June 20 when the High Commissioner’s
posal was unanimously agreed to. * |
S. At the same meeting a proposal from the Ministry of Health and Education
Avas laid before the Council with regard to the Maude Hospital which is to be erected at Basrali
as a memorial to General Sir Stanley Maude. The funds subscribed in Basrah are insufficient
tor the scheme contemplated by the Health Department and it was therefore proposed that the
Government treasury shall provide a lac One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. against every lac One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees provided by the subscribers
After the hospital is opened the Health Department will be responsible for any expenses in
excess of subscriptions to the hospital. The Council adopted these proposals P
4. On June 22 the High Commissioner wrote to the Council on the snbWt nf tho a™ •
Refugees m Mesopotamia who have hitherto been supported by H M G a?an act “
the hope that they might ultimately be repatriated That hope having vanished BMP y ’ *
no longer continue the relief whiqh has been afforded but ns Inbmir t , v r “ ed ’ H M G - can
demand for it considerable, the High CommLsiW wns nf + 18 SCarce and the
thousands of work people would be^of benefit to the < Irna P mi0 ” tlla ^ the absorption of some
orders the refugees have been tabulated as foBowsI-- "- Ace ° rdl ^ to a taken by his
1956 farm labourers
113 merchants
18 blacksmiths
19 bakers
38 weavers
68 carpenters.
22 tinsmiths.
17 masons.
14 tailors.
41 shoemakers
7 porters.
earliest possible date and that hf Avou^lbrilad^Vthe C 1 ld ne f c | ssary to elose the ca mp at the
ance as they could for the suitable disposal^ thLe pe^phT 11 S * W ° llld aff ° rd SUCh aSSiSt '
PUBLIC OPINION AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE AMIR FAISAL.
Commissioner (see Appendix 6 l^^^which^thei^ d 11 - BaS J al1 P resent ed a petition to the High
Basrah district Avas definitely formulated (spp No ior a separate political existence for
High Commissioner that they we™wmil that TMV In conversation they told the
accept Faisal or any other rullr approved of andf , form P art of ‘Iraq and would
explained that Basrah district woidd comprise the 3a°7 V“ e Britisl1 Goveriftnent. They
icfiised to take responsibility for the Muntafio i.-W-i " V' tn f a0 t0 a P°int above Qumah, but
Wilayat Thus, as the Minister of Finance pointerfmt U was part o( the Basrail
■ he deputation, they proposed to detach one of the riePV 0 ] A)tu ja,lf Mandil, the leader of
ie Iraq from the Arab State and exemnt thp™o a i ld most eas ^y administered portions
llse 10m mor c turbulent districts The petition h 6 VeS ^ ropl problems which are sure to
6- At the same time a count. . 0re ° Ver 4 ’ 500 Matures.
Which While asking for a reasonable measure cTdecfT".* 6 ' 1 ’ ' vith orer ^ names . in
essential*dhf rS be8 i ed that .Basrah might remain^oU 8 'tUh 013 ^' 411 re8ard to ; ° eal concerns,
• enbal difference between it and other Liwahs °* the Liwahs of the 'Iraq with no
7 The ' ’ f uiAvans. H
other district & th^ measure °f ^ecenlrtlizati^which is ^ enerall 3 7 that while Basrail
disfavour nc S ’ ^ P. resen t demand goes too far ? Th on 101 ?]. d a ^ so I >e accorded to Mosul and
"v» '*• at*A„sr ~
s a UUJUJ^IU-
^ \ 1 • Nac l lb received on June o + t
Of f^ndt: 1 , He » in snitaMe S'” b'2 ^ H " Sain a nnn,uicing the arrival
' G f (5ee supplement). terms - Ba th telegrams were published in the ‘Iraq
On Juup 99 ^
^ /• 0 -vie m me rruq
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Naqih and published
TclG^ram t • 1 tiio iNaqiD and puuiisliGu
Jamllfmi^of 1 the m ] , e'fd■ ) ’ 8l * b80 U bda ^ ld: ^i^ a ^^inlahl , aTM” ° f the Naqib ’ but not »>
L,Sa ; al ;}; a ] Jnne 24. n ° tabIeS ’ ^ f> ' lb)is1 ^ - the issu^of ^23^“7n Te
9 tIip *. tiune ^ and zd and m me
to Baghdad (»ee e No. a i5 r para dlt 8 e ! J b ?. Ibrabim al Hilmi who has tro f a • r
the most exemolarv B 18 strongly nro -J 198 transferred it from Damascus
nipJary pro-British sentiments. g y pr °- Sha «fian and at the same time exhibits
V