File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎445v] (901/946)

at Ba‘quba who wish to proceed to their homes, on their own responsibility and making their own
arrangements being allowed to travel to Adana via Aleppo on the understanding that they proceed
at their own risk.”
This understanding being given, and the Armenian Relief Committee of Baghdad, guaranteeing
their onward passage from Baghdad and arrival at their destination, a grant. from Political funds
of 50 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per head was given, and consequently in August 281 Armenian Refugees were
despatched from the camp to Aleppo and Adana in batches of 50 persons. Later eight more
Armenian Refugees under the same conditions, were despatched to Constantinople. At the present
moment, arrangements are being made to despatch more of the Armenians who originally came
from Asia Minor, but the vast majority have still to wait until shipping becomes available to
transport them to Egypt, etc.
Having dealt with the repatriation of the three classes, at some length I beg to quote extracts
at this point, from a letter, dated 6th September, 1919, sent by the Civil Commissioner to the Chief
Political Officer, E.E. Force, Cairo, which briefly summarizes the situation as it stands at present.
2. “ As regards the Armenians, the great majority of them come from the districts of Van
and Bitlis.
We have made every effort to send them, by sea. but the War Office have hitherto been
unable to provide freight. The Persian Government are unwilling to allow them to go via Persian
Territory, as their'journey through Persia was marked by regrettable occurrences.
It is impossible to send them by land to Van owing to the Political and Military situation, and
if they arrived there, they would have, at present, no means of livelihood.
3. I suggested recently that the best solution would be to transfer the whole batch by sea
to Aleppo, and let the Repatriation Organization there deal with them, but added that both the
Repatriation Officers, who discussed the matter with me at Aleppo, and. the Americans in the
Caucasus, who were in correspondence with me, joined in deprecating their despatch under present
conditions.
4. As regards the Urumian Refugees. The position is that the Persian Government are
unwilling at present to agree to their return and the state of the Urumian district precludes the
possibility of their returning for the present. In any case the return of the Assyrians and the
Armenians will involve the provision of transport and material for their re-habilitation on arrival in
their desolated homes which cannot be provided at short notice.
. ^ * s hoped to repatriate the Assyrians from pro-former Turkish territory this year, vide
this office despatch of the 4th August, No. 23268, to the 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. . The orders on this proposal
are awaited.
6. The cost of the Refugee Camp is at present a Military Financial reponsibility and is
a charge upon the Revenues of the occupied territories.
not
The general administration however is under the control of this office which provides the
Officeis and men required for the camp, and deals under the orders of G.H.Q., with internal
organization and policy, and with correspondence with external authorities on the subject.
?' ,^ le oposals for their emigration to Canada have been put forward, but it has not been
considered practicable to proceed with the proposal.”