Mr. Churchill, in the House of Commons on Tuesday, gave
a hopeful account of the state of Mesopotamia. The cost of our Occupation had been reduced for this year from £24,221,000 to £9,096,000, and should be much less next year. Further, the British forces had sustained no loss for a year or more, except in Southern Kurdistan. Mr. Churchill commented on the strange fact that the Mandate—which is really a trust calling for great self-denial on our part—is regarded in the Middle East as a sort of servitude. King Feisal and his people wanted to deal directly with us and to disregard the League of Nations, from whom we hold the Mandate. Our suggestion that we might abandon the Mandate and leave Irak to its own devices had,
however, caused King Feisal to modify his objections. A treaty was being drafted, within the terms of the Mandate, to define the relations between Great Britain and the Irak Government. If there were any prospect of getting back some of the millions that we have expended for the benefit of the Arabs of Mesopo- tamia, this heavy burden might be borne with less impatience. But, to judge from the case of Egypt, we must expect nothing— not even gratitude.
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