'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎42r] (83/1386)

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of Rao'hdad-SamaiTa mihyay in that it would prevent any possibility of surprise attack on w
He considers that all our inirests lie in our holding Baghdad, but
iddition our present (forces) might be driven out of it, and that this mi Baghdad
lifficult and dangerous retreat down the river. Shortly, lie ^. °PP^« l to ; . f inforc ^ tu ^ s
Followed by a withdrawal. H* is strongly m favour of bolding
ire forthcoming, ff they are not forthcoming, he prefers safetj of Ku ^ d
l ie feels however that present military situation is such that it may at any time
imcessaiw to occupy Baghdad even with mir existing forhes, and accept the -k involved
“ Mv "own comment upon the Commander-in-Chief s view is that from apolitical poi •
view it would be disastrous to be driven °. u ' d 13a -~ h(d(1 . TW • u . se t i iat does not
“(3) Remain in a defensive position at Kut-el-Amara 1 h s is a C0Ulse J ia , , ib y
appeal to us, for it shows weakness which will be recognised both by 1 urks and die
ulternative.
- From Secretary of State to Viqerqy, dated 21st October 1915*.
?’ me '' e 7blTnd to o£ th 8 ; might conceivably neacb a total of CO003 by end ot
divisions from lance Ir. mi i w i receiving further reinforcements at later date.
Hmrefmm tlla! !t would be unwise from purely military point of view to occupy
Baghdad unless' military authorities have power to withdraw troops at once without 0
r^'^jtTifofficTJ.lulUgke not under any ciroina-
1-0 f *** bredanou h to ConsUntinop.e
are. therefoie, in S reat need of atjriknff
^ O ' in flip Fist beth to check Persian movement and to win Arabs. , .
success m tlie riist pom tu i «. nssnrauces to Arab leaders that wo
5 ‘ Es?,£ yS? 5 :.J =»;
all oThel condieitloaa »=em to ns to render it desirable, and we are prepared to orde, ,t.
0.1 the 23nl October another War Council was held, the result o£ which
was the deiiaite order contained m the following telegram .
“ From (bo Secretary of State for India to Viceroy, dated 23rd October 191o.
/ O 3099. Nixon may march on Baghdad if be i, aatiafted that fopce h. ha. aT ti^g
?r*ngemente, bat wllftelgraph probable
'date later.”
This telegram practically authorised the Viceroy- to issue the necessary
to of 6 the‘Imperia^Generafstaff, War
Office : —
u Y V om Chief of the General Staff, India, to War 0ff.ee, dated 25th October.
to
interpret throaghaat Aaia,
i’ersia, Afghanistan, and the hast as weakness.
From the 1st to 11th November the War Office sent half-a-dozen
r-lenrams reporting various Turkish movements from Syria, Armenia, and
Baghdad. To this India '•epUed on the Bth November m a
^ram to the WarOlIice thf, the, report)? have
jJI he'lBaivhda'l rid' the Euphrates route were 8 Q.F. guns and 1.000 men.
: On the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th further inteHigepce was cable 1 ,to General
Nixon regarding Turkish movements.