الملف ٣٠١\١٩٢١ "بلاد الرافدين: تقارير استخباراتية" [و‎‎٢‎٧‎٦] (٥٨٦/٥٦٤)

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-ttlneli was to be inaugurated under the auspices of Yusuf Suwaidi and Saiyid
Mu am mad Sadr. Hasan Effendi Pachahji is a law r yer of considerable
.distinction, generally accounted to be the ablest advocate in Bagh-
tt i J-zzat 1 asha is a native of Ejirkuk, of Turkish descent,
tie dad held nigh military office under the Ottoman Government
| las . a great reputation throughout Mesopotamia. Ja £ far Pasha, one of
the Amir haisal s Major-Generals, had recently returned to Baghdad which
is his native town, after serving for a year as Governor of Aleppo under the
Arab Government of Syria. Muhammad Effendi Fadhil a leading citizen
of Mosul, had been one of the deputies for ,Mosul under the Turks and is now
acting as Mayor of the town. . ‘ Abdul Latif Pasha Mandil is a distinguished
, native of Basrah, of Yajd origin, a land-owner and a merchant. Mustafa
Effendi Alusi belongs to one of the best known learned families of Baghdad
and has held the post of Qadhi in many parts of the Ottoman dominions,
including Mecca.
Those asked to join the Government without portfolio were
Hamdi Pasha Baban, a Kurd and head of the old ruling family of Sulai-
maniyah, ‘Abdul Majid Effendi Shawi, Mayor of Baghdad, ‘Abdul Rahman
Pasha Haidari and Fakhri Effendi Jamil Zadah, notables of Baghdad;
Ahmad Pasha Sani‘ a notable of Basrah, ‘Abdul Jabbar Pasha Khaiyat and
Hand Yusufani, leading Christians of Baghdad and Mosul respectively, and
four Shi‘ahs, namely ‘Abdul Ghani Kubbah, head of the principal Shi‘ah
family of Baghdad, Saiyid Hadi Qaswini of Hillah, ‘Ajil Pasha ibn ‘Ali
Sam arm ad formerly paramount Shaikh of the Zubaid and the Amir Muham
mad Saihud, paramount chief of the Bani Rabi‘ah.
8. It was not considered probable that Hasan Effendi Pachahji would
^accept office. His private practice is lucrative and he has constantly refused
to relinquish it for public employment. His refusal, therefore, caused no
surprise. But when Sasun Effendi and Hamdi Pasha Baban declined the
Haqib’s invitation, a serious situation arose. In both cases, in
spite of the excuses put forward, the underlying reason was unwill
ingness to serve in any Cabinet of which Saiyid Talib Pasha was a member.
Hamdi Pasha held to his decision, but Sasun Effendi, whose absence from
the Council would have produced a deplorable effect, was persuaded to re
consider his attitude. It was pointed out to him that while it would have
been impossible to omit so prominent a man as Saiyid Talib from the provi
sional government, the latter’s future position would depend on whether he
could prove himself to be of value to his country and his compatriots. After
a short hesitation and further exchange of views Aitli the Yaqib, Sasun
Effendi got the better of his apprehensions and accepted the Ministry of
Finance. The episode was instructive. It showed how deep-seated was the
mistrust and fear inspired by Saiyid Talib’s pqgt and how prevalent the
belief that the British authorities intended to support his pretentions, what
ever might be the will of the people. Ja‘far Pasha admitted in private that if
he had not hesitated to enter the Cabinet it was only with the object of
defeating Saiyid Tal'ib, whose ambitions he regarded as a menace to the
country.
9. Mustafa Effendi Alusi was offered and accepted the Ministry of
Justice, left vacant by Hasan Effendi, and for the moment the Ministry of
Auqaf remained unfilled. Saiyid Hadi Qazwini declined to take part m the
Council, excusing himself on a plea of ill-health. All the other invitations
were accepted.
10 Some days were necessarily occupied in communication with
Ministers-elect in the Basrah and Mosul Wilayatsi and in their gradual
assembly at Baghdad. Meanwhile the Naqib had some preliminary discus
sions with those already in Baghdad, and at the same time was m daily con
sultation with the High Commissioner in regard to rules of procedure to be
prescribed for the conduct of the business of the Council, and for regulating
the relations of the Ministers with their advisers,
11 The Hi 0> h Commissioner met the full Council on the 10th instant,
when the draft instructions as finally approved by him and the Naqib, were
formally accepted by the Council which from that date entered on its func
tions! In the course of the meeting the High Commissioner’s co-operation was
asked in the direction of an amnesty to some of the political deportees. The
High Commissioner expressed his readiness to go through the list and mfoim
the^ Council which persons it seemed possible to allow to return.
FEELING IN BAGHDAD.
12 The selections for membership of the Council and for the several
lortfolios have inevitably caused disappointment to ““J “ dlTldua ’,? J 1 * J
vi o'o'er a ted ^ eas 0 f their own claims or special qualifications. Ifiougli
our ShPahs were invited to become members of the Council, the^Slu ahs as
whole are disappointed with their representation and press for a seat m