"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [و‎‎٢‎٦] (٥٤٠/٥٦)

CIVIL ADMINISTRATION
27
country took place between London, India and Mesopotamia,
where General Maude, with Sir Percy Cox as his Chief Political
Officer, was still responsible for the military and civil government
of the occupied teriitory. His Majesty’s Government reahsed
that in view of the military situation it was impossible to set
up a civil administration independent of the military authority,
but, in order to satisfy themselves of the progress made in
carrying out the civil policy they had adopted, they felt it
necessary to make some change in procedure. Accordingly
at the beginning of July it was proposed that the Chief Political
Officer should be given the rank of Civil Commissioner and
should submit his reports, giving his own opinion and advice
freely, to the Secretary of State for India through General
Maude, who would forward them with any observations he
wished to make. General Maude gave his opinion on this
proposal at some length in a telegram to the Commander-in-
Chief in India (repeated to the Chief of the Imperial General
Staff). Briefly stated, he asked that he should be given every
opportunity to concentrate his whole energies on preparing for
future military operations and that his attention should not
be distracted by having to justify his opinion when he felt that
civil considerations which were being urged upon him conflicted
with military interests. It was his duty and his wish that the
development of civil administration should be pushed forward
as far as could conveniently be done without conflicting with
military interest ; and as a proof of this he pointed out that
such development was already taking place in many directions.
But he was afraid that other measures if adopted might
militate against obtaining success against the enemy.
Further correspondence ensued and in August it was decided
by general agreement that Sir Percy Cox should assume the
title of Chief Commissioner, sending reports direct to His
Majesty’s Government and submitting a copy of them before
despatch to General Maude to give his opinion if he thought it
necessary. It was laid down that the ultimate responsibility of
the General Officer Commanding was to remain unimpaired ;
that only the minimum of administrative efficiency necessary
to preserve order and to meet the needs of the occupying force
should be aimed at; that the amendment of laws and
introduction of reforms were to be kept within the narrowest
possible limits ; and that no large or controversial adminis
trative questions were to be raised.
In July General Maude started work in connection with
the Hindiya barrage, near Musaiyib on the Euphrates. After