Internal and Political Branch Files - first cycle

IOR/Z/P/3896-3898

Unrestricted

Although the two sections of the Internal Branch became the separate Political and Internal branches in April 1923, they continued to record files in a single common sequence until the end of 1923. All 1922 and pre-April 1923 files are marked 'Internal', unless the subject matter was Political and the file cover was altered to 'Political'. Files on Political matters which were closed before April 1923 were not normally re-named in this way; different parts of a multi-part file can therefore legitimately be found differently named 'Internal' and 'Political'. Files on Internal matters did not need to be re-named and bore the new designation from the start. The regular supply to London of printed 'A' Proceedings, tabular statements of 'B' Proceedings and annual indexes ended in 1922. An index to files in all branches of the Foreign and Political Department for the 1922-23 cycle was later printed, and a copy of this index can be found at IOR/Z/P/3896-3898. The printing of proceedings before 1922 could be done as a single process after each group of proceedings had been recorded. The printing of open-ended files after 1922 could be accomplished only by sending groups of original papers to press in consecutive batches during the currency of the file. Files have been found printed in as many as ten instalments before binding, and although the resulting arrangement of original papers returned from the press may seem chaotic, it is the logical consequence of the editing and printing process.