BRITISH RULE IN IRAK.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18921, 9 February 1927, Page 11

BRITISH RULE IN IRAK.

•BENEFICENT INFLUENCE." N.Z. SCIENTIST'S IMPRESSIONS. tTHS I'i:£SS Special Suvicc.j AICKLAND. lebman 8. A \oung New Zoa:a:n:cr v.ho has •;.;incd miccv.-s iii other lands ii J>r. h. A. Miiis, who, after a dietiuguisiied war tecord and a oiucessl'ul bcientific t;;ner in England, now occupies the position of Director of Government Laboratories in Jrak. |)r. .Mills, accompanied by Mrs Mills, arrived by the lonic on six weeks' furlough. Dr. Mills is an oTd boy of Wellington College, and left New Zealand lb' years ago to study medicino at Edinburgh. When war broke out he joined the 12th Division of the Imperial Forces, serving with it throughout the war. On his return to England. Dr. .Mills was Director of Research Laboratories at Woolwich, and there made many important pathological and bacteriological investigations into tropical diseases. In 1 !>*2;j he took up lits present appointment in Bagdad. This carries with it the directorship of the Pasteur Institute in Irak, and the occupant is in the position of adviser to the Irak fiovernment in everything pertaining to tropical diseases. "Conditions in Irak are on a very peaceful basis." .said Dr. Mills. "There is no trace of tho trouble that arose in 15)20, tho main factors being the settlement of the Turkish and boundary questions.'"

"Irak provides an instanm of the beneficent influence of British suzerainty." he said. "You arc probably well aware of the troubles the French have had with the Druses in their territory. Tho French have to maintain a huge standing army, which is very often embroiled with tribes, while in Irak Britain keeps splendid order with only two small divisions." Whi.'o Britain's prestige in Irak was assured in view of tho comparisons the Arabs mado between her rule and that of other countries, it was difficult to know what was going to happen in Persia. Dr. .Mills said there was a good deal of Holshevik intrigue going on in that country. Dr. Mills will spend only six weeks in New Zealand, most of the time at the Southern Lakes, lie will tlicn return to Bagdad by way of Paris, where he will represent Irak at the International Conference of the Pasteur Institute.