"بلاد الرافدين. اللجنة" [و‎‎٣] (٢٥٦/٨)

MINUTE.
I
a!
Under Secy of State
M esopotamia Blue Soo£ .
I submit for the orders of the S oa s a proof
ofyf the proposed Parliamentary paper on the Meso
potamia operations .together with notes by Mr ^huc^-
burgh and Col Strachey on the various points of
difficulty that arise.
When Mr Chamberlain has given his ruling on these
or any other points, edited copies of the papers
might be sent to Lord Eardinge.Lord Crewe,the F.Q,
77.0., and Admiralty for their concurrence. There
are plenty of spare proofs for this purpose. T/hen
their consurrence hae been obtained, the form of
the Blue Bock will be practically settled, and
the necessary paraphrasing can be taken in hand
at once with a view to the early publication of
the papers.
I venture to add that a further study of these
papers only serves to strengthen my opinion that
the publication of many of them is not in the pub
lic interest.
The question of what, if any, communication
should be made to the G-ovt of India on tne subject
will no doubt be also considered.
I see no object in publishing items 1 - 4 as they
have already appeared in the nite Paper "Miscel
laneous Eo 13 (1914) and the collection i- pnhlishe^t
r"*
should be gin with Eo 5.
I see no reason for the omissions suggested by Mr
Shuckburgh in Eo 9 and I am doubtful about those
in Eo 11.
I942G. 1.1192. 2000.-9/1915.