MESOPOTAMIAN POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 206, 28 August 1920, Page 7

MESOPOTAMIAN POLICY.

INDEPENDENCE TO BE GIVEN. LONDON, August 27. Following on the decision of the Government to contract as far as possible Britain's foreign obligations, the Cabinet i proposes, in addition to granting independence and self-government to Egypt under British influence, to withdraw her armies from Mesopotamia, and to granting the Arabs self-government under their own chiefs. Britain will abandon the ambitious system of civil administration previously projected, and will withdraw numerous Foreign Office officials who were recently sent out to India, but a corps of expert, administrators to advise the Arabs will be maintained. Sir Percy Cox is hurriedly going to Mesopotamia to inaugurate the new policy. Meanwhile Bagdad is not regarded as in danger. — ("Times.") According to advices from Bagdad, Kifri, 100 miles to tho north-east of Bagdad, has been attacked, and the political officer there captured. Tho political officer at Detawah has also been captured and taken to Deli Abba, 60 miles north of Bagdad, where it is reported that he is well treated. No fresh developments are reported elsewhere. The indications are that the losses of the insurgents at Bakuba, 30 I miles north-east of Bagdad, which was j recently bombed, were heavy, and that I they are dispersing. Advices from Teheran state that Persian Cossacks have been fighting during ! the last two days on the road between Resht and Enzeli, on the Caspian coast. They have arrived on the outskirts of Enzeli. The enemy has been heavily re- , inforced, and is making a stubborn resistance. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.)