(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/24/189
Image Reference:0005
Printed
for the Cabinet.
November
SECRET.
1027.
Copy No.
30
C P . 2 9 9 (27).
CABINET.
IRAQ.
NEGOTIATIONS FOR REVISION OF T H E
N O T E BY T H E CHANCELLOR OF T H E
I C I R C U L A T E for
of a c o n v e r s a t i o n w h i c h
28th November.
Treasury
Cliamherx, S.W.
November 20, 1927.
TREATY.
EXCHEQUER.
t h e i n f o r m a t i o n of t h e C a b i n e t a r e c o r d
I h a d w i t h K i n g F e i s a l on M o n d a y , t h e
1,
W . S. C.
K i n g Feisal c a m e t o see m e t h i s afternoon. H i s m o o d h a d been
m u c h altered by h i s conversation w i t h Sir A u s t e n C h a m b e r l a i n a t
luncheon.
A f t e r c o m p l i m e n t s , h e n a r r a t e d from h i s p o i n t of v i e w t h e r e c e n t
c o u r s e of e v e n t s i n I r a q a n d t h e d i s c u s s i o n s h e r e . H e s a i d t h a t G r e a t
B r i t a i n ' s object in s e n d i n g h i m to Iraq w a s t o secure a reduction in
e x p e n s e a n d t h a t t h i s h a d b e e n largely a c h i e v e d i n t h e six y e a r s t h a t h a d
passed.
I s a i d t h a t t h e r e d u c t i o n of e x p e n s e w a s o n l y o n e of o u r o b j e c t s i n
I r a q , a n d t h a t t h e d i s c h a r g e of o u r m i s s i o n u n d e r t h e L e a g u e of N a t i o n s
a n d t h e m a i n t e n a n c e of o u r p e r m a n e n t i n t e r e s t s i n I r a q w e r e a l s o p a r t of
our policy. On t h e o t h e r h a n d , a l t h o u g h Iraq w o u l d certainly become
rich e n o u g h t o b e i n d e p e n d e n t of B r i t i s h f i n a n c i a l aid, s h e w o u l d n o t for
m a n y y e a r s b e a b l e t o p r o t e c t herself. If t h e T u r k s i n v a d e d K u r d i s t a n
a n d M o s u l , o r if t h e R u s s i a n s b e g a n a p r o l o n g e d d o w n w a r d p r e s s u r e
t h r o u g h P e r s i a , n o t h i n g t h a t I r a q could d o h e r s e l f w o u l d p r e s e r v e t h e life
of t h e S t a t e . S i r A u s t e n C h a m b e r l a i n h a d t o l d h i m a t l u n c h e o n t h a t if
I r a q r a n i n t o d a n g e r t h r o u g h f o l l o w i n g B r i t i s h a d v i c e w e s h o u l d feel
u n d e r a n o b l i g a t i o n t o p r o t e c t h e r , b u t t h a t , of c o u r s e , if t h e d a n g e r a r o s e
[16877]
through her h a v i n g rejected our advice w e should be e n t i t l e d t o disinterest
ourselves. I n t h i s connection h e m u s t u n d e r s t a n d t h a t e v e n w i t h t h e
best will in the world it m i g h t n o t be in our power to defend t h e territory
of Iraq. W e could n o t undertake to do so on the spot. T h e influence of
E n g l a n d in E u r o p e and in the Council of the L e a g u e of N a t i o n s w a s .
however, very great, and t h a t influence c o n s t i t u t e d t h e main protection
for Iraq, s u p p l e m e n t e d a s it w o u l d bo by such forces of aeroplanes, & c ,
as w e from t i m e to t i m e agreed w i t h t h e Iraq G o v e r n m e n t t o m a i n t a i n .
T h e K i n g accepted very well the s t a t e m e n t t h a t i n certain circum­
s t a n c e s it w o u l d be beyond our power to defend h i s country locally.
He
said t h a t h e q u i t e understood t h a t w e coidd not p u t large a r m i e s on t h e
frontiers of Mosul. H e realised t h a t B r i t i s h influence exerted in Europe
w o u l d be t h e best safeguard. F o r t h a t very reason h e urged t h a t w e
o u g h t to encourage Iraq t o do t h e best s h e could to defend herself and
make t h e largest preparations.
T o t h i s I replied t h a t it w o u l d be a m i s t a k e for h i s G o v e r n m e n t to
make itself u n p o p u l a r by forcing through conscription in order t o raise
an army certainly more feeble t h a n t h e armies it m i g h t h a v e t o m e e t .
Feisal said t h a t there w a s n o idea of general conscription.
They
proposed t o take from a population of 3 i m i l l i o n s s i x t h o u s a n d men
a year, m a i n t a i n i n g altogether t w e l v e t h o u s a n d m e n as a g a i n s t nine
t h o u s a n d t h e y h a d at present. I said t h a t n e v e r t h e l e s s t h i s w o u l d be
no real defence comparable to t h e protection afforded by t h e support of
England.
T h e K i n g t h e n c a m e t o h i s i m m e d i a t e troubles.
H e had been
w o u n d e d by t h e m e m o r a n d u m h a n d e d to h i m on h i s first arrival by the
Colonial-Office. T h i s m e m o r a n d u m w a s handed t o m e by h i s interpreter,
and I read it. H e complained t h a t there w a s a lack of confidence, &c.
I told h i m t h a t it w o u l d be a grave error for h i m to go back to Iraq
w i t h o u t s i g n i n g a Treaty.
I t m i g h t not m a t t e r m u c h t o u s , but
a rupture b e t w e e n h i m and his B r i t i s h friends w o u l d be the occasion for
every e n e m y , internal and external, t o raise h i s head. B l o o d m i g h t flow
and lives be lost if a needless breakdown were published t o t h e world.
Above all, I w a s m o s t shocked last week to hear t h a t he h a d p e r m i t t e d
the word " abdication " t o fall from h i s lips. W h o w o u l d rejoice if t h i s
were t o occur ? T h e F r e n c h w h o h a d h u n t e d h i m from D a m a s c u s w o u l d
say " I told you so "; and Ibn Saud w h o had c h a s e d t h e Sherifian family
from t h e H o l y P l a c e s w o u l d t h e n feel t h a t h i s work w a s c o m p l e t e . Our
idea in p r o m o t i n g h i s candidature for t h e throne of Iraq h a d been t o
e s t a b l i s h in t h e d y n a s t i c centre of h i s family a rallying p o i n t for Arab
culture t h r o u g h o u t t h e E a s t , and t h e m e l a n c h o l y e v e n t s w h i c h had
occurred since i n t h e Hedjaz left it t h e sole and last stronghold of the
t r a d i t i o n s of so m a n y centuries.
F e i s a l a d m i t t e d h i s grief and fear at r e t u r n i n g w i t h o u t a Treaty. If
h e h a d u s e d t h e word " abdication," it h a d o n l y b e e n b e c a u s e of t h e
:
*
h o p e l e s s n o s h ion h e w o u l d be in in lace of a n a d v e r t i s e d r u p t u r e w i t h t h e
British.
I s a i d I u n d e r s t o o d h e h a d told S i r A u s t e n C h a m b e r l a i n a t l u n c h e o n
t h a t in v i e w of t h e i r c o n v e r s a t i o n he w o u l d n o w r e m a i n a n d c o n t i n u e t h e
negotiations. W a s t h i s t h e e a s e ? Could I report to m y colleagues t h a t
h e w a s d e t e r m i n e d t o s t a y a n d reach a n a g r e e m e n t ? H e said d e c i d e d l y
t h a t t h i s w a s so.
A p p a r e n t l y t h e r e a r e t h r e e p o i n t s in d i s p u t e .
T h e first
is
" c o m p l e t e i n d e p e n d e n c e . " I s a i d it w a s foolish t o q u a r r e l a b o u t a n
adjective when t h e s u b s t a n t i v e carries the essential meaning. As a
m a t t e r of fact, c o m p l e t e i n d e p e n d e n c e w a s n o t r e c o n c i l a b l e e i t h e r w i t h
t h e facts or w i t h o u r o b l i g a t i o n s t o t h e L e a g u e . H e s a i d t h a t h e w o u l d
d r o p t h e r e q u e s t for t h e w o r d " c o m p l e t e . " C o u l d w e n o t , h o w e v e r , d o
s o m e t h i n g for h i m in r e g a r d t o t h e p o w e r t o d i s m i s s B r i t i s h officials ?
T h e y m o s t l y h a d t e n - y e a r c o n t r a c t s , a n d w e w e r e o n l y t a l k i n g of a p e r i o d
of four y e a r s . I n p r a c t i c e t h e case w o u l d h a r d l y e v e r a r i s e . W a s i t
n e c e s s a r y t o p l a c a r d i n t h e t e x t of a T r e a t y c o n d i t i o n s w h i c h w e r e
n e e d l e s s l y h u m i l i a t i n g t o I r a q a n d w e a k e n i n g t o h i s p o s i t i o n ? I did n o t
k n o w h o w t h i s m a t t e r s t o o d , so I s a i d t h a t , if t h e K i n g of h i s o w n
motion stayed and negotiated w i t h a n earnest desire t o reach a n agree­
m e n t , t h e s e discussions should be resumed.
L a s t l y , h e r a i s e d t h e q u e s t i o n of finance in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e
p a y m e n t d u e by I r a q for t h e I r a q r a i l w a y s a n d a l s o for t h e m i l i t a r y
e x p e n s e s . I s a i d t h a t in a few y e a r s , w h e n t h e oil b e g a n t o flow, I r a q
w o u l d b e very r i c h a n d q u i t e a b l e t o p a y all t h a t w a s j u s t l y d u e ; t h a t i t
w o u l d b e e a s i e r for m e t o t a k e a s o m e w h a t m o r e g e n e r o u s view on
financial
m a t t e r s i n t h e n e x t few y e a r s if t h e s u m s p a i d by u s or h e l d
over f r o m s e t t l e m e n t w e r e p u t i n t o a s u s p e n s e a c c o u n t , t o be p a i d w h e n
I r a q w a s r i c h e n o u g h t o d o so. T h i s a s p e c t c o u l d a l s o b e s t u d i e d in t h e
r e n e w e d c o n v e r s a t i o n s . H e s e e m e d gratified a t t h i s .
G e n e r a l l y s p e a k i n g , I believe t h a t h e h a s n o i n t e n t i o n of g o i n g b a c k
w i t h o u t a n a g r e e m e n t , a n d t h a t t h e p r o s p e c t s of r e a c h i n g o n e fully
j u s t i f y a p e r s e v e r i n g r e s u m p t i o n of t h e d i s c u s s i o n s .
W S C
November 28, 1927. ­