§ 19. Lieut.-Colonel THOMasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the attitude of the British Government towards the introduction of conscription in Iraq?
§ Mr. AMERYThe British Government do not propose to interfere in the matter either to encourage the. Iraq Government 609 to introduce conscription or to prevent them from doing so. The British Government are not convinced, however, that the introduction of conscription would be acceptable to the people of Iraq as a whole or would be to the advantage of the country. It has been made clear to the Iraq Government that, if disturbances arose as a consequence of the introduction of the measure, we could not contemplate the employment of British troops to enforce its application.