'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎630r] (1272/1386)

M~ /2.
the difficulties of the War Office will to a certain extent be mitigated. He is most
anxious not to embarrass them at the present crisis, but he considers it imperative
that the British troops in India should be reinforced at the earliest possible moment.
1 am, &c.,
^ y / E. G. Barrow, General,
SecretnTy, War’OfficT i . Military Secretary.
No. IS.
/Vo
Hraft letter from In dia ^Offi ce to War Office 3267),
dated j 8th January 1916/")
W
I am directed to forward for the information of the Army Council a copy of
, ^ r 0 1 the attached telegraphic correspondence 1 with
os. > an o- o . upp ement . . the Government of India on the subject of the
further reinforcements from India of Indian Expeditionary Force^and to say that
Mr. Secretary Chamberlain entirely concurs in the views o^bressed in the
attached telegram of 18ih January 1916 as to conditions under which the three
additional brigades asked for can be provided.
I am, Ac.,
E. G. Barrow, General,
Military Secretary.
No. 19.
/To
Sir,
fcottor iron* 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. to War Office: (^M”. 3293),:
dated 14th February 1916.
/
I am directed by the Secretary of State for- India in Council to forward a
Memorandum containing instructions for the future control of military operations
in Mesopotamia, and to request that you will lay it before the Army Council.
The instructions, as Lord Kitchener is aware, have been approved by His
Majesty’s Government, and they have the cordial assent of the Viceroy and the
Commander-in-Chief in India.
Mr. Chamberlain has requested the Government of India to give effect to them/
at once, and he understands that the Chief of the Imperial General Stall’ has already
been authorised to act on them.
am, Ac.,
T. W. Holderxess.
No. 20.
Memorandum.
L The Commander-in-Chief in India to receive instructions with regard to military
operations in Mesopotamia and Persia from the Chief ol the Imperial General Staff,
under the authority of the Secretary of State for War, in exactly the same manner as
the Commanders-i n-Chief in other theatres. These instructions will, of course, be
based on the decisions of the War Committee.
2 India will remain, as at present, the main base of the force in Mesopotamia,
which will continue to be administered by the Commander-in-Chief in India, such
requirements of the force as India cannot meet being supplied by the War Office from
other parts of the Empire, subject to the general policy at the time being decided
upon by the War Committee.
3. The General Officer Commanding in Mesopotamia will send all reports of
operations, states, returns, and requests for additional units, to the Commander-in-
Chief in India, and will repeat these to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
3a. The General Officer Commanding in Mesopotamia will make recommendations
for the higher appointments to the Commander-in-Chief, India, and will repeat them
to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. The appointments will be made by the
Commander-in-Chief, India, subject to the approval of His Majesty’s Government,