File 1711/1920 'Mesopotamia: General Circulars. - 1920' [‎71v] (147/591)

24
under the weight of taxation to such an extent
that many of them have had either to shut their
houses or to undergo* very great hardships.
Again, we have a number of people of modest
incomes—unearned incomes—-who are reduced
to extreme straits and are undergoing the
greatest possible suffering. As Chairman of
the National Savings Organisation I have an
opportunity, -perhaps, above that of a good many
people, of knowing what the feelings areof
people throughout the country.. We have
200,000 workers, and they send their reports to
their committees, who, in turn; report to the
Central Committee. The same answer to saving
comes from the workingclasses, /and indeed
from all the classes who are asked to save.
They say, "What is the good of t it, with the
extravagances of the Government going.on as,
it is?’’
I make no apology for going rather off my
beat and giving' expression to what I may de
scribe as rather straight speaking* this after
noon. I think the times demand it.- The irony
of the national fate is this, that at a time when
the country is passing through a period of the
greatest financial necessity it so happens that
it has the most extravagant Government in the
whole of its history: The Prime Minister tries
to pacify the country by saying, as he did in
the House of Commons the other day, "It is
fortunate that the war did not go on for another
year? -Had it gone on for another year
£2,000,000,000 more would have been added to
the National Debt.” What an answer I. What
an irony in the situation, that confronts us to
day! The Prime Minister '’possesses many
qualities. Perhaps the, most important, and in
these davsmost useful, is the fact that he is
’ very responsive to public opinion, so respon-
sivetoit that he is able to be flexible in his
opinion.. I would like to see him throwing, the,
whole weight of the_magnetic influence which
he undoubtedly possesses in this country to-day,
not in the balance of extravagance, but in the
balance of economy. I am quite convinced that
you will never get the present Government to
take the initiative in effecting a real reduction
of expenditure. The only hope in this country
is that Parliament, the Press, and the public
should combine in a crusade and compel the
Government to economise. Only then will it
be done. Only then shall we. begin to see day
light. I hope that till that day comes—may it
come very soon!—your Lordships will take
your full share in the crusade in.the public
interest. :
There are three points that I have tried to lay
stress on to-night. The first is that the exist-
ing administration of Mesopotamia is abso-
lutely without justification, is dangerous from
theipointof view of policy in the East, andis
far beyond our capacity, and that our expendi
ture upon it should immediately be reduced.
Secondly the policy, whether good or bad, in
Mesopotamia affects the whole of the East and
the position of the British Empire in the East.
Thirdly, I would say that the administration
of Mesopotamia, as we have seen it during the
past, two years, is aserious blow to the prestige
of the mandatory system. Most people regard
the mandatory system as probably one of the
best results of the war. Whatever may happen
to. the League of Nations in the days to come,
at any rate the mandatory system lays down a-
fine conception for the assistance of Govern- !
ments throughout the world, and largelv will
.be the death-knell to the policvof conquest and I
exploitation in the. future;. Vourthly. let me
say that in all these matters the administration
in Mesopotamia and elsewhere, where the public-
in this country are closely and substantially
affected, no'decision should be come to until
^Parliament has had a full opportunity of
examination and decision in the matter. Last
ly, I express the conviction that our future
position in the East beats in a very large mea-
sure on the spirit and the methods by which
we undertake the mandatory responsibility.
As a result of the'war the position of the
British Empire is greater than it has ever been.
We have imposed upon us by our military conk
quests enormous additional responsibility. The.
victory that we have achieved in the great war
is a victory for British Imperial principles.
We have fought for the right of nations, for
self-determination, and \ for the democratic,
method of. government.. .The war has brought
many changes. Dynasties have fallen, political
systems, have collapsed, J countries have been
reduced to-chaos, the economic and social conk
ditions of millions of people have been altered
either for better or tor worse, and it is difficult 1
for us who live in these days to see the full
perspective of the vast issues that are arising
from this great upheaval of t he world. But
probably*the change that will, prove the most
permanent, the one that will exercise a greater
effet on future history* than any other, isthe
changed mentality of the world,; We live in
a new world. In a sense our whole outlook is?
different,, especially those of the new genera-
tion. And this aspect must be appreciated by
all, especially those who are directing affairs.
Millions of men and women to-day have learnt;
to suspect/ and many of them to dislike, alien
domination, whether it be of a class or a nation.
it is therefore of the utmost importance to-
approach .this task in the mandatory countries,?
not as rulers, but as teachers. We are not asked
to govern the peoples, we are asked to teach
them to govern themselves, and that is the
essential spirit that should actuate all that we
can do from the very commencement. It is iff;
the utmost importance that the men who direct
affairs at home and the men whom we send to
undertake these tasks should believe in that
mission, should have faith and patience to work
to the ideal, and to realise the truth that self-
government, though it may be imperfect in
its kind—and it will be very imperfect in
many .of these places—in the long run will be
a better and a more satisfactory form of gov
ernment than a,bureaucracy, however benevo-
lent that bureaucracy, may be. It is important
also not to attempt in top rigid a form to impose
Western.notions on Eastern peoples, but, in the
spirit of the best Western teachers, to encour
age them to think for themselves, to build up a
system of government consistent with the best
ideals of their race, and therefore one that will
have the sanction of > native opinion. This I
believe to be the only way in which peace and
welfare will be secured out of the welter that
we see before-us. , This is the ony way that our
trust will be fulfilled. And, finally, this isthe
only way in which we shall succeed in this
gigantic task, and maintain, as we must, in our
country economic and financial stability.--
. LoRD SYDENHAM: My Lords, the ques-
tion raised by the noble Lord is one of the very
I greatest importance. We-are incurring, as he
said, very heavy expenditure in Mesopotamia,
.and the situation there at the present moment
is far from satisfactory. We went into this war.
without any idea of territorial expansion. The
Empire was quite big enough in August, 1914,
and it was-only partially, and, in some places,
notin the least, developed. Now we find our-