ملف ٤٧٢٢\١٩١٨ الجزء ٨ "بلاد الرافدين: الوضع" [و‎‎٤‎٥‎٥] (٩٩٥/٩٢٣)

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From Baghdad.
Dated July 10th, 1920.
(Roceired 12th, 11 a.m.)
7
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(|2i , 831 f« Your telegram July 8th. Additional Indian
Divisions for Mesopotamia*
/• «ia 4 J l ) 1 sutait brief appreciation, of the (? situation)
/in whi^ please read uji light of my previous official telegrams
subject which I nave no reason substantially to
Jou are aware that General Baghdad, has asked
that a Brigade may be held if) readiness as a first instalment
against possible eventualities*
™ ^ As in (? 1918) so now Military position in
Mesopotamia is % conditioned by external rather than by internal
situation* Principal external factors are Bolsheviks, Turks
and Syrians in order named*
fof^lsheviks cannot in ray opinion be adequately dealt
/forced with (? by) ^|ese based on Mesopotamia* Proper Military means
of dealing with them appears to me to be (IT I may venture te
an opinion) from Batoum by a force in Caucasus and on Caspian.
His Majesty’s Government found themselves compelled to
abandon this line last year and results have reacted
unfavourably on us in Persia*
(4) I am not well informed as to Turkish situation but
so far as I can iudge action the Allies are taking on European
side is likely if sustained to preclude any serious Turkish
offensive against Mesopotamia*
( y) Syrian situation is I venture/ to think susceptible of
improvement by diplomatic rather than by Military means*
I incline to view that if Syrian Affairs were now detached
completely from Egypt and Palestine and were dealt with by
Consular Officer at Damascus with subordinate at Aleppo
/ JlojJJ working directly under Whitehall and devoting his whole time
to Syrian problems weAshaii have been less trouble than we
are now having and I respectfully submit this proposal for
consideration* French have Consul at Bagdad and have Vice
Consulate at Basrah (at present vacant) and there seems
no reason why we should be less well represented in Syria.
(6) Internal situation in Mesopotamia is threatening Wt
will very greatly improve so soon as the external situation
has been stabilised* Present troubles and those likely to occur
in near future arise first from that-the fact that those who
fish in troubled waters are taking advantage of instability
of the external situation to cause disturbances here whilst
minds of population at large are confused by declaration of His
Majesty’s Government which so widely diverge, if I maybe
allowed to say so, from realities of life in Mesopotamia that
they find no degree of popular acceptance outside the towns
and have hitherto done little but arouse (? suspicion) even ther«<
(7) Immediate emergencies confronting us on Euphrates
could hdve been promptly nipped in the bud Sad existing aimed
forces in Mesopotamia been in a more efficient state thad they
now