Previous 2/1181File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎4v] (4/240)
14/1181 NextFile 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎5v] (6/240)
View all items
File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎5r] (5/240)
Previous 2/1181File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎4v] (4/240)
14/1181 NextFile 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎5v] (6/240)
Skip to item: of 1,181
See full record
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎5r] (5/240)

This item is part of
File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’
240 images
Ref: IOR/L/PS/10/805/2

The record is made up of 1 item (119 folios). It was created in 26 Apr 1920-3 Feb 1921. 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.

Apply page layout

The Under Secretary of State for India,
Political Department,
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. ,
Whitehall, S.W.l.
Sir,
With reference to the recent correspondence on the
subject of the delivery of Government craft purchased by this
Company, I have the honor to inform you that we have been
advised by telegram from Baghdad, under date of 29th December,
1920, that the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce has telegraphed to
His Majesty^ Government deprecating the hasty retirement from
Mesopotamia, and pointing out that large economies in expenditure
can be effected by the reduction of unnecessary Military
Departments•
In amplification of this telegram I am directed to
point out that the maintenance of the Inland Water Transport
Department as a Government Department, involving very heavy
expenditure of public funds is, in our opinion, unnecessary
having regard to the fact that this Company has repeatedly
offered to transport all Government Stores as soon as the
craft purchased have been delivered, at rates which would show
a large saving in cost of transport.
We are informed that the reluctance of the Military
Authorities in Mesopotamia to consider these offers arise out of
the fear that in case of emergency an efficient organisation
to deal with Government transport would not be available if
the river transport is solely under private control.

About this item

Content

This part concerns the disposal of river craft in Mesopotamia and contains material relating to:

  • The arrangements made by Lord Inchcape [James Lyle MacKay], of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company Limited, with the Ministry of Munitions towards the purchase of the Government’s surplus river craft in Mesopotamia
  • The vessels purchased by the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company from the Government through financial arrangements in Bombay [Mumbai], from March to August 1920
  • The transfer of the Inland Water Transport Department in Mesopotamia from military to civilian authorities, and the amount of military transportation vessels to be maintained
  • The suggestion of the Secretary of State for India, Edwin Montagu, to the Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill, that they convince the civilian and military authorities respectively to agree to the sale of the river fleet in Mesopotamia
  • The wishes of General James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane to retain a portion of the river craft until the railway from Basrah [Basra] to Baghdad has proved its reliability, and consideration that he can carry his supplies by water more cheaply than could be done by possible purchasers
  • The criticism of the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, of British Army control over the oil fleet as being ‘uneconomical’, for charging three times that of civilian organisations and railway transportation
  • The financial statement of the Ministry of Munitions to Parliament on the ‘Disposal of Surplus Government Property’, together with a ‘Memorandum on Disposals’ (ff 40-47)
  • The schedules of the Inland Water Transport Headquarters, Basrah, for fitting out and delivering the vessels to Keti Bandar, Calcutta [Kolkata] and Rangoon [Yangon] (ff 34-37)
  • The shortage of personnel in the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force to make the arrangements for the delivery of vessels to the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company
  • The observation by the War Office that it would entail an actual loss to make the vessels (all but nine) seaworthy and deliver them to Lord Inchcape under the stipulations
  • The responsibility for policing inland waterways in Mesopotamia and the possible takeover, by civil authorities, of four armed gunboats on loan from the Admiralty
  • The ‘non-delivery’ of river craft to the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company due to the change in the military’s position
  • The reluctance of British military authorities in Mesopotamia to place river transport solely under private control, in case of a possible emergency in Government transportation.
Extent and format
1 item (119 folios)
Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [‎5r] (5/240), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/805/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100148183206.0x00000f> [accessed 6 October 2024]

Link to this item

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100148183206.0x00000f

Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image. 

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100148183206.0x00000f">File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’ [&lrm;5r] (5/240)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100148183206.0x00000f">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0002bb/IOR_L_PS_10_805_0014.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0002bb/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image
Reference
IOR/L/PS/10/805/2
Title
File 788/1919 Pt 4 ‘MESOPOTAMIA DISPOSAL OF RIVERCRAFT’
Pages
5r:6r
Author
Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company
Usage terms
The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.