ملف ٤٧٢٢\١٩١٨ الجزء ١ "بلاد الرافدين: إدارة السياسة والوضع" [و‎‎٢‎٩‎٦] (٦٨٧/٦٠٧)

^ k.
)
■X
f
\ J>M(
2.0 tPfar-J I*c.
^.A.C,
iu.r n
yJn-*—
my
u.)
duty
not be doing
Anglo-French
to Mesopotamia, bids fair
Mahon s early assurances
1
J'vom Political, Baghdad, 1 1th November 1918.
(Repeated to Noi-eign.)
(Received 18th, 11 a.in.)
_b92f).^ lour telegram of 14th November. 1 shouh
... if I ( ii ( i not first of all record my conviction that
Declaration of 8th November, in so far as it refers
to involve us in difficulties as great as Sir A. H. filer
to Sherif of Mecca.
It is for representatives of His Majesty’s Government on the spot to
make the best of the situation created by this Declaration, and, as Govern-
ment is aware, I am trying to do so, but unless latter is superseded or
moditied by a pronouncement of the Peace Conference, I anticipate that in
years to come we shall be laced with alternatives of evading the spirit whilst
perhaps keeping within letter of this Declaration, or of setting up form of
government which wdl negative orderly progress and will gravely embarrass
efforts of European Powers to introduce stable institutions into Middle
East.
Declaration involves us here on the spot in diplomatic insincerities
which we have hitherto successfully avoided and places a potent weajjoii in
the hands of those least fitted to control a nation’s destinies.
1 would emphasise almost entire absence of political, racial or other
connection between Mesopotamia and rest of Arabia.
If the future status of this country is to be dealt with successfully it
must, I am convinced, be treated independently of Arab problems else
where.
Arabs of Mesopotamia will not tolerate that foreign Arabs should have
any say in their affairs, whether they come from Syria or from Hedjaz. In
practice they dislike and distrust both. National unity means for them
united Mesopotamia and not unity with either Syria or Hedjaz. So, too,
they resent importation of social or administrative institutions ol* methods
that savour of India.
Average Arab as opposed to handful of amateur politicians of Baghdad
sees the future as one of fair dealing and material and moral progress under
the aegis of Great Britain, and is clear-sighted enough to realise that he
would lose rather than gain in^Vovolting (against) unity if we were to
relinquish effective control. He will learn more quickly than the Indian.
But he is still far behind him in education and experience. Irrespective of
this element is a constant potential source of dissension and grave public
insecurity. Nor can we afford to ignore mutual contempt and jealousy that
exist between townsmen and tribesmen.
With experience of my political officers behind me, I can confidently
declare country as a whole neither expects nor desires any such sweeping
scheme of independence as isNulu mb rated if not clearly denoted in Anglo-
French Declaration.
Arabs are content with our occupation; non-Mahometan element
clings to it as the tardy fulfilment of hopes of many generations; world at
large recognises that it is our duty and our high privilege to establish an
effective protectorate, and to introduce a form of government which shall
make possible development of this country, which in spite of centuries of
neglect is still the ganglion of the Middle East. If we allow ourselves to
be diverted from this path by political catchwords, our soldiers will have
fought and died in vain, and treasure we have lavished on this country will
in eyes of the world and of peoples of the Middle East have been wasted,
for it was not merely to defeat Germany that we came here.
I think, therefore, that our best course is to declare Mesopotamia to be
British protectorate, under which all races and classes will be given forth
with maximum possible degree of liberty and self-rule that is compatible
with that good and safe government to which all nations aspire, but so
few now enjoy.
Our national characteristics and trend of our policy in this country
during past four years afford best guarantee that we shall not fail here as
in India to make every effort by spread of education and institutions
familiar
State.
to progressive States
to encourage
>Towth of a self-contained Iraq