‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 52. PART I. (From 1st to 15th November 1918.)’ [‎97r] (202/558)

Comment —
The above suggests thnt all railway transport may
transport of their own troops by the Germans.
uemg seized lor
Record copy to G. S. (M. 0.-3).
Copy to M. S. C., G. S. (M.O.-lj.
APPENDIX 76.
DIARY No. 88855.
Telegram P v No. X.-3569, dated 3rd November 1918.
(Despatched 10-15 am., received 8-45 a.m. ; dated 5 th November 1918 )
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Baghdad, '
To—The Chief of the General Staff, Simla.
. (Repeated London, Egypt, Teheran, Meshed and Kasvin).
Priority —
Operations November 11th, 9 a.m. Following is total count to date of
captures made on Tigris up to the night of 30-hlst October. Prisoners 11 000
guns 50. The 7th and lith Cavalry Brigade are encamped outside of town of
Mosul a distance of 2 miles.
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 1).
Copy to M. S. C. } G. S. (M. 0^3), M. S. Y.
Memo No. 0.-2638—2, dated 1 st October 1918.
APPENDIX 77.
DIARY No. 88872.
(Received in War Section, 22nd October 1918.)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force,
To The Chief of the General Staff, Army Headquarters India Simla
(Copy to Secretary, Army Agricultural Committee, War Office; Secretary Board of
Agriculture, Baghdad.) .
I have the honour to forward herewith, for information, a copy of a Report
by the Administrator, Agricultural Development Scheme, on experiments
with Indian wneat during 1917-18. 1
Working copy to Q. M„ G.
Copy to M. S. C., E. & P.
154 C. G. S.
AGRICULTURAL DIRECTORATE.
MESOPOTAMIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
Experiments with Indian wheat in Mesopotamia in 1917-18 by 0. C. Garbett,
I.C.S,, First Pevenue Officer and Administrator, Agricultural
Development Scheme, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force.
Introductian. —In July 1917 the First Revenue Officer, foreseeing that
unless steps were taken by Government to assist the cultivators of Iraq the
demands on the supplies of the country in 1918 would exceed the harvest, put
u came to be known as the Agricultural Development Scheme, of
which he was appointed Administrator. The wheat supply of Baghdad in peace
times is drawn largely from Mosul, Arbela and Kirkuk, three sources of
supply which were cut off by the enemy. The country, therefore, had in 1917-
18 neither sufficient wheat for its food supply nor a'surplus for seed grains
Ihere. was no alternative but to import. Of the additional crops required in
1918 it was hoped to raise some fifteen thousand tons by distributing Indian
seed wheat to Arab cultivators. The experiment had to be made on a lar^e
scale or not at all. If shipping was to be saved in 1918 seed must be sown m
1917; and the chances of success were held to be sufficient although there were
several adverse conditions, some obvious from the first, others fortuitous.
Adverse Conditions.—In the first place the experiment was conceived and.
put into action in a country which we had occupied only five months previously.
The Arab cultivator had no experience at all of our methods of business. He
made application for seed when told it would be available, but when the issue
was delayed he was reluctant to cancel his application, as he had been in
contact with us for so short a time that he was doubtful as to the reception
such a request would have recem-d. TVe, on the other hand, had not complete
knowledge of the methods of agriculture best suited to local conditions and
distributed seed when demanded. Again, the Administrator of the Scheme had
to rely to a very large extent on the Assistant Political Officers in the various
distrcts for the conduct of the field work. Whole hearted as this help was, their
lack of agricultural experience could not but handicap these officers who at this
period had no technical advisers.
Einally, at the time of the issue of seed, the country was in the grip of
famine and grain was hardly procurable by the civil population at any price.
The only chance of safe-guarding against substitution and ensuring that all
grain issued was sown would have been to deliver the grain on the land itself
but when the seed did come to hand, so far had the season advanced, that it
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