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THIS P R Q ? : . ^
2 k i T * K i 6 M^JSJTY^S
ebva-tutJBjfj)^,
3 EG R 3 1 .
CP.-3804 *
0 A B I If E l ,
'
1 HE
IH A Q
T 'B E A T Y.
C i r c u l a t e d by the S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o r t h e P o l o n i e s .
.
- PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM from t h e High Coup i s s i o n e r
for Iraq t o t h e S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e for t h e
C o l o n i e s , dated 2 7 t h February, 1 9 2 2 . .
( R e c e i v e d C o l o n i a l O f f i c e ' 3 . 5 1 p..m. l e t March, 1 9 2 2 ) .
Ho.163 o f
2?thFebruary.
Treaty'with F a i s a l .
As I ' i h f o i m e d you i n my t e l e g r a m s
815 - and- 816 ( b o t h ) F a i s a l and Nagib' and e s p e c i a l l y t h e
latter
p r e s s e d w i t h g r e a t i n s i s t e n c e f o r d e f i n i t e a b r o g a t i o n of
mandate.
Major Young w i l l be able t o supplement my r e p o r t s
:in t h i s r e s e c t .
- S i n c e r e c e i p t of your t e l e g r a m No. 87 I have
d i s c u s s e d S u b j e c t f u l l y w i t h them and both v e r b a l l y and i n
w r i t i n g have e x p l a i n e d t o them t h e p o s i t i o n of H i s M a j e s t y ' s
Government and your own p o i n t of view a s s e t f o r t h i n your
t e l e g r a m s and - l e - t t e r s .
In an at te. lpt t o oiroumvent
m e n t a l d i f f i o u l t y I have a l s o s u g g e s t e d a l t e r n a t i v e
senti­
draft
t r e a t i e s , ' but t h e y m a i n t a i n t h e i r p r e v i o u s a t t i t u d e TL changed
i n s p i t e of a l l my e f f o r t s .
I have n o w - r e c e i v e d from F a i s a l a long l e t t e r
.forth h i s f i n a l views.
He s t a r t s w i t h h i s
^ i t h you i n London' and' c o v e r s a l l
and our d i s c u s s i o n s ccme t o t h i s ;
:
setting
conversations
the ground.
This
letter
F a i s a l end Haqib are
d e f i n i t e l y of t h e o p i n i o n t h a t n e i t h e r on l i n e
indicated
by your m o d i f i c a t i o n s n o r by a l t e r n a t i v e which you propose
i t p o s s i b l e f o r than to proceed w i t h t r e a t y ,
It is
is
clear,
t h e y c o n t e n d , tiiat i n e i t h e r c a s e i t i s a t i l l I n t e n d e d t o
m a i n t a i n man da tor y r a l a t i o n .
They are u n w i l l i n g to a c c e p t t h i s
p r i n c i p l e , and i t ma ce.s no d i f f e r e n c e
:
whether i t
ia e x p r e s s e d
e x p l i c i t l y or in a camouflaged form.
1
Their view may be expressed i n t h i s way:
"Our d e s i r o
f o r Great B r i t a i n - ia s i no e r e our need f o r f r i e n d s h i p and
in
a s s i s t a n c e is clamorous-
7/e want no one b u t G r e a t
Britain,
but we want h e r n o t as a m a n d a t o r y but as an A l l y and
friend,
H i s M a j e s t y King G e o r g e , i n t e l e g r a m w i t h which, he h o n o u r e d me
on d a y of my a c c e s s i o n seems t o have c o n t e m p l a t e d t h i s .
t i m e when t h e i d e a and c o n d i t i o n s of
r ;
were
Jxarde.tory"
by E n t e n t e p o w e r s t h e y may hove b e e n r e a s o n a b l e and
At t h e
formulated
possible.
S i n c e t h e n , howev&r. much has h a p p e n e d and - t o m e n t i o n o n l y one
c h a n g e - t h e r e h a s b e e n a n enormous i n c r e a s e i n the s t r e n g t h of
nationalist
sentiment throughout
islam.
Consequently
intelligent
o p i n i o n i n t h i s c o u n t r y c a n no l o n g e r w i l l i n g l y t o l e r a t e
mandatory
r e l a t i o n e s p e c i a l l y now t h a t p u b l i c have s e e n i n w h a t manner a
p a r a l l e l m a n d a t e h a s been i n t e r p r e t e d
or m i s i n t e r p r e t e d by F r e n c h
f o r whose p r a s o n o e i n S y r i a , w i t h i t s e f f e c t
on
tsa^aao,
ISRSUI
Great B r i t i a n is m o r a l l y r e s p o n s i b l e .
I f you w i l l g i v e us a
and f r e e t r e a t y and c o m p l e t e i n d e p e n d e n c e you w i l l f i n d t h a t
e v e r y t h i n g you need for p r e s e r v a t i o n
interests
and w e l f a r e of f o r e i g n e r s
of y o u r own p o s i t i o n
is yours; if,
on the
frank
and
other
h a n d , you i n s i s t on " t h e p r o p o s a l t o " m a n d a t e " us I and Efaqib
c a n n o t a c c e p t 6dium and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of b e i n g a s s o c i a t e d
with
s u c h a p o l i o y and y o u w i l l need an army s t r o n g enough t o impose y o u r
w i l l upon an u n w i l l i n g p e o p l e .
If,
i n h e r own i n t e r e s t s o r b e c a u s e
of h e r u n d e r t a k i n g s t o w a r d s - o t h e r P o w e r s , G r e a t B r i t a i n
obliged to i n s i s t
on p r e s s i n g upon I r a q a t r e a t y on l i n e
by S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e r s m o d i f i c a t i o n s
may p r e f e r
His M a j e s t y ^
when i t
is convened,
to l e t
to a s k t h e
to consider t r e a t y .
c o u l d n o t oppose s u c h a d e c i s i o n b u t t h e o n l y r e m i t
c o u r s e would b e , i n our o p i n i o n ,
indicated
Government
( s i n c e I and Naqlb c a n n o t , a c c e p t t h e t a s k )
n a t i o n a l assembly
feels
We
of such a
l o o s e a s t o r m of
controversy
upon t h e c o u n t r y and we o a n n o t s a y w h a t t h e r e s u l t of r e f e r e n c e
of t h e c o n s e q u e n t d e l a y would
be".
In a n s w e r to above I have u s e d t h e
arguments
with
or
w i t h Tv-bi.cn you f u r n i s h e d rae i n y o u r -oormuuioa-tio-ns^vnd
a d d i t i o n I h a v e a r g u o d somewhat aa f o l l o w s
:
B r i t a i n and Iraq, o n l y were c o n c e r n e d ,
oonvinood t h a t - J i i s " '
Ma j o s t y ' s Government w o u l d , i f
I m
If
in
Groat
o n l y f o r h e r own c o n v e n i e n c e ,
r e s p o n d t o I r a q / s a s p i r a t i o n s t o w a r d s fi-eodom t o u t m o s t i n "
spite
-
of p r o v e r b i a l d a n g e r of p a t c h i n g o l d g a r m e n t s w i t h new
cloth provided that they.were l e f t
-influence
i n a p o s i t i o n of
sufficient
t o s a f e g u a r d t h e i r own r e a s o n a b l e i n t e r e s t s a n d e n ­
sure proper treatment o f . f o r e i g n e r s .
In p o i n t of f a c t ,
e v e r , a b r o g a t i o n of m a n d a t e may w e l l be p o l i t i c a l l y
how­
impossi­
b l e f o r C r o a t B r i t a i n v i s - a - v i s h e r a l l i e s and League of
N a t i o n s t o o , s i n c e o t h e r m a n d a t o r i e s a n d i n t e r e s t s cf
those
( 1 g r o u p ) may be a f f e c t e d by any a c t i o n t a k e n i n r e g a r d t o
Iraq..
In r e p l y t o t h i s t h e y e x p r e s s t h i r f i r m
t h a t G r o a t B r i t a i n c a n c o t r i d of m a n d a t e i f
i s in spite
she w i s h e s . '
of t h e v i e w s , p o l i c y a n d a r g t u n o n t s of E i s
Government w h i c h I have n o t f a i l e d t o p l a c e
before
conviction
This
ISajesty^s
clearly
them.
My own comment i s a s f o l l o w s :
Our a t t i t u d e
appears
t o me t o - b e weak, i n t h i s t h a t p r e m i s e s on w h i c h i t
is
b a s e d , however sound a t one t i m e , a r e sound no l o n g e r ,
I t h i n k we n e e d t o r o c o n - a i d e r s i t u a t i o n w i t h a l l
on b a s i s of
At
( 1 group)
actualities.
t h e t i m e when t h e K a n d a t o r e l a t i o n s h i p was
devised i t
seemed r e a s o n a b l e and oven b e n e v o l e n t i n
name a n d f o r m .
greatly.
and
Since t h a n , however, s i t u a t i o n has
On one hand wo f i n d
increasingly severe financial
ourselves in a s t a t e
stress;
owing t o a b s o l u t e n e c e s s i t y of r e d u c i n g our
our o b l i g a t i o n s u a d e r m a n d a t e i n
now i l l i n ? , *70 s t i l l
it if
people- of I r a q
seem t o . c l i n g /
.-3­
of
Although
expenditure
and w i t h d r a w i n g our t r o o p s , we a r e no l o n g e r i n a
of d e f e n c e or t o e n f o r c e
changed
on. t h e o t h e r hand a
s t r o n g wave of n a t i o n a l i s m i s p a s s i n g over e a s t .
e i t h e r to f u l f i l
idea,
are
position
direction
o l i n g t o t h e i d e a t h a t we a r e p e r f o r m i n g a d u t y t o h u m a n i t y
by m a i n t a i n i n g m a n d a t o r y r e l a t i o n . .
A oonsidaxabla^proportion,
of p e o p l e of Iraq, a r e no d o u b t i n a r t i c u l a t e ,
rest,
a s for
ihe
t h e m o d e r a t e and p r o - B r i t i s h p a r t y w i l l f i n d i t
diffioult
very
t o r u n c o u n t e r t o e x p r e s s e d o p i n i o n of Kaqib and
i f we a s k e d them t o do so we S h o u l d b e p u t t i n g t h e i r
to us t o too g r e a t a s t r a i n ,
loyalty
w h i l e i t may be t a k e n f o r
t h a t s m a l l b u t p o t e n t e l e m e n t of i n t e l l i g e n t s i a w i l l
and o u t - v i e t h e a t t i t u d e of J P a l s a l .
granted
support
When i t became known t h a t
n o t o n l y F a i s a l b u t o u r s t a u n c h s u p p o r t e r t h e Haqib had- b e e n
u n a b l e t o come t o an u n d e r s t a n d i n g w i t h H i s M a j e s t y s
T
the a l t e r n a t i v e
Government;
of l e a v i n g t h e T r e a t y f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n
of
N a t i o n a l Assembly would I am o o n v i n o a d o f f e r no l i k e l i h o o d of
a different
result.
We s h o u l d have v e r y s t r o n g p u b l i c
feeling
a g a i n s t u s b y t h e t i m e t h e Assembly met and d e c i s i o n of Assembly
would I t h i n k be a f o r e g o n e
conclusion.
Moreover work g e n e r a l l y
w i l l be p a r a l y s e d u n t i l T r e a t y i s c o n c l u d e d o r a t a l l
u n t i l t e r m s a r e a g r e e d upon b e t w e e n
t h e q u e s t i o n of B r i t i s h p e r s o n n e l ,
King
and' o u r s e l v e s ,
I t seems t o me,
t h i s f u n d a m e n t a l q u e s t i o n of p o l i c y ,
s o l u t i o n on I r a q ,
Egypt b e f o r e u s ,
therefore,
M a j e s t y "s Government must
view t h e s i t u a t i o n s e r i o u s l y and come t o a f i n a l
our a d m i t t e d i n a b i l i t y
and
which h i n g e s upon I r e a t y , .
and t h e O r g a n i c Law w i l l be hung u p .
t h a t b e f o r e we go f u r t h e r H i s
events
re­
d - e c l s i o n on
hegard b e i n g had t o
and d i s i n c l i n a t i o n t o f o r c e
any
and w i t h f r e s h e x p e r i e n c e of I r e l a n d and
it
seems t o me t h a t we must c o n s i d e r
we a r e o r a r e n o t i n a p o s i t i o n t o go t o o u r
League of N a t i o n s and say i n
A l l i e s
whether
and t h e
effect;
" I n p r a c t i o e we have f u l f i l l e d
our mandatory
duties to Iraq for three years.
She form of -Mandate a s
first
data
c o n t e m p l a t e d i s now o u t of
and h a s m o r e o v e r been
interpreted
i n t e r p r e t e d "by F r a n c e a s c i r c u m s t a n c e s s e e n o d t o h e r
-demand, t h e League of N a t i o n s i s s t i l l i n e f f e c t i v e
to
and
meanwhile t h e i n t e r n a l s i t u a t i o n i n I r a q h a s been
developing
q u i o k l y and s a t i s f a c t o r i l y - and we c a n n o t s t o p t h i s p r o c e s s .
Our s o l e o b j e o t i s t o do our d u t y by t h e p e o p l e of
while maintaining sufficient
influence
Iraq
to ensure t h a t
t i m a t e B r i t i s h i n t e r e s t s and w e l f a r e of f o r e i g n e r s
le/ii­
in
c o u n t r y a r e s a f e g u a r d e d . - We h a v e n e v e r had any o t h e r
deaigns in I r a q ,
v/e c o n s i d e r t h a t b o t h from our own p o i n t
of v i e w and t h a t of p e o p l e of Irafr t h i s end can b e s t be
achieved i f
our f u t u r e r e l a t i o n s a r e f o r m u l a t e d i n a t r e a t y
of a l l i a n c e
( l g r o u p ) a s b e t w e e n two i n d e p e n d e n t
states.
The t e r m s which h a v e b e e n a g r e e d upon b e t w e e n t h e two p a r t i e s
a r e now coinmunicated ( 1 g r o u p ) . " myself
so f u l l y
diffidence)
My o b j e c t i n
expressing
on such a p o i n t ( a n d I do so w i t h
i s i n o r d e r t h a t you may know i n what
great
direction
I am t h i n k i n g . . I t ' i s my p e r s o n a l c o n v i c t i o n t h a t i t
o n l y i n t h i s - d i r e c t i o n t h a t we oan e x p e c t t o f i n d
Considering i m p o s s i b i l i t y
Iraq i t
is
success.
of a d o p t i n g any c o s t l y p o l i c y
seems i n v i e w of a t t i t u d e of B r i t i s h
tax-payer
more p r u d e n t t o s e c u r e ,50 o d - w i l l of I r a q i s by g i v i n g
what t h e y want t h e onus of f a i l u r e
in
them
t h u s r e m a i n i n g on them,
t h a n t o a d o p t any p o l i c y which would p r o b a b l y h a v e
contrary
effect.:.
This r e f e r s
t o y o u r t e l e g r a m ITo * ' 87 and s u b s e q u e n t