IOR/L/PS/10/569

Correspondence and papers concerning the resumption of trade at Baghdad in Mesopotamia [Iraq] after Britain’s military invasion during the First World War. Subjects covered include: in August 1917, discussion amongst British Government officials as to whether an official announcement concerning the resumption of trade at Baghdad should be made; applications from commercial firms in Britain to resume business and exchange financial payments with traders in Baghdad; the compilation of a list of ‘approved’ firms that should be allowed to resume trade, and a ‘black list’ of firms (supplied by the Chief Political Officer at Baghdad, Percy Zachariah Cox) that should be barred from trade; an appeal by a trader based in Amsterdam, against a ruling barring him from resuming trade at Baghdad and Basra; difficulties in river transit between Baghdad and Basra. The file’s principal correspondents are: the Foreign Office; the India Office; The Commercial Department of the Board of Trade; the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India.

The file contains a single item of correspondence written in French (f 100).

The file includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.