‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 22. PART II. (From 16th to 31st May 1916).’ [‎34r] (72/246)

/
Telegram P., No. 55078, dated 20th May 1916. APPENDIX 287
(Despatched 11 pm.) (i?y. No. 55078)
From—Tie Commander-in-Chief in India,
To—The Secretary, War Office, London.
Your telegram (Dy. No. 54614) unnumbered of 17th May in connection
with changing E. A. M. C. personnel of Hospital Ships plying in Eastern and
Western waters. I agree with this interchange, and, for ships on Bombay*
Suez run, it should be carried out at Suez. Necessary staff must be despatched
to Bombay, if personnel of Hospital Ships on Bombay-Basrah run are also to
be relieved. At present, reliefs for I. M. S. officers on Hospital Ships “ Glen*
gorm Castle ” and “ Letitia ” cannot be sent.
The question of evacuation of British invalids from Basrah direct to Egypt
was gone into here with Surgeon General Treherne. He was of opinion that
in view of fact that it would prevent the sorting out at Bombay of cases not fit
to undergo voyage to Suez, and that Hospital Ships going to Suez cannot cross
the Shatt-el-Arab bar and the consequent transference of sick and wounded
from vessel to vessel outside the bar or at Koweit causes unnecessary suffering,
the existing practice of sending invalids to Bombay should be continued.
Eecord copy to I). M. S.
Telegram R., No. 2856, dated 11th May 1916. APPENDIX 288
(Received in War Section on 29th May 1916.) (Ity. No. 55090)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force C( D/ J Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign and Political
Department.
(Repeated to Secretary of State.)
Administration reports of various civil branches of administration for
past year are in gradual course of submission to Government. Meanwhile
202
it is considered that it would be useful and opportune at this juncture to make
as much capital as we can vis-a-vis the Mahommedan public of the generous
line on which we have conducted administration of land and revenue and assess
ment during the first year of our occupation.
If desired the draft of an article on the subject will be prepared for
publication in Press. Meanwhile it is considered that if following communique
were given to Eenter, London, by His Majesty’s Government for issue it would
have wide and speedy effect and carry more weight than if issued by us here.
Draft begins v
A report lately received from the British administration in Mesopotamia on
working of Department of Land Eevenue and Assessment in occupied territories
for past year shows that ic has been found in process of careful investigation
that figures of the former Turkish land revenue demanded were in many cases
considerably in excess of what the land or the Arab cultivators could fairly
stand and in course of collection of land revenue for past financial year reduc
tions aggregating upwards of fifty-five thousand pounds Turkish have been
granted out of total demand of £202,000 under the Turkish assessment.
In addition to these reductions arrears of revenue aggregating one hundred
and fifty-three thousand pounds standing against landowners named on
Turkish registers have been finally remitted.
In the Department of Waqf or pious founders the administration has been
purged and improved in association with Mabommedan committees appointed
for the purpose ; many mosques long in disrepair have been put into order and
a considerable reserve fund has been accumulated for expenditure on religious
objects approved by Mahommedan sentiment.
All official communications, receipts, etc., which used to be in Turkish,
which is not understood b} most people, are now written in Arabic.
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 1).
Copy to M. S. 0., G, S. (M. O. 2, M. O, 3),