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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [28r] (55/544)
The record is made up of 1 file (272 folios). It was created in 13 Mar 1918-7 Jan 1919. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
• ' i*. r ^ ^
[This Docimient is the Property of His Britannic Majesty s Governriieiit.]
Printed for the War Calntiri. June 1918.
SECRET.
E.C. 11th Minutes.
WAR CABINET.
4
EASTERN COMMITTEE.
Minutes o f a Meeting of the Eastern Committee held m Lord Curzoris Room at the
Privy Council Office on Friday, May 31, 1918, at 3 p.m.
Present:
The Right Ron. the Earl Curzon of Kedleston, K.G., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E.
(in the Chair).
Lieutenant-General the Right Hon. J. C.
Smuts. K.C.
The Right Hon. the Lord Hardinge of
Penshukst, K.G., P.C., G.C.B., G.C.S.I.,
G.C.M.G.
[Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade).
, G.C.I.E., G.C.V.O., I.S.O.,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs.
The Right Hon. Lord Robert Cecil, K.C.,
M.P., Minister of Blockade (representing
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs).
The Right Hon. E. S. Montagu, M.P.,
Secretary of State for India.
Mr. J. E. Shijckburgh,
India Office
The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.
.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, Bt.,
M.P., Foreign Office.
Mr. L. Oliphant, C.M.G., Foreign Office.
Major-General P. P. de B. Radcliffe, C.B.,
D.S.O. (representing the Chief of the
Imperial General Staff).
Colonel R. A. Steel, C.I.E. (representing
| the Director of Military Intelligence).
Lieutenant-Colonel L. Storr, Secretary. 1
Caucasus:
General Dunster-
ville.
1 THE Chairman said that, since the last meeting, the situation
both as regards General Dunsterville’s Mission and Sir P. Sykes’s
position had developed rather sharply.
As the Committee were aware, General Dunsterville had
suddenly announced his intention of going to Baku, and proposed to
take with him a squadron of the 14th Hussars and a company of the
Hampshire Regiment. He evidently contemplated considerable
developments there, lor he telegraphed later about requiring a
brigade of artillery, and spoke of the co-operation of the Caspian
Fleet. The Committee had been alarmed at so sudden a change of
policy, and this alarm had at first been shared by our representa
tives at Teheran. It had accordingly been decided, at the last
meeting, to instruct General Dunsterville not to proceed to the
Caucasus, but to coniine his activities to ensuring the security of the
Klianikin-Resht road. What the Committee to-day had to consider
was, first, the situation at Baku, and, second, the advice that had
since been received from Sir C. Marline:.
O
[365—10]
B
About this item
- Content
This file is composed of papers produced by the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee, which was chaired by George Curzon for most of its existence. The file contains a complete set of printed minutes, beginning with the committee's first meeting on 28 March 1918, and concluding with its final meeting on 7 January 1919 (ff 6-214 and ff 227-272).
The file begins with two copies of a memorandum by Curzon, dated 13 March 1918, proposing the formation of the Eastern Committee. This is followed by a memorandum by Arthur James Balfour, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, approving Curzon's proposal, and a copy of a procedure for the newly created committee, outlining arrangements for committee meetings and the dissemination of information to committee members.
Also included is a set of resolutions, passed by the committee in December 1918, in order to guide British representatives at the Paris Peace conference (ff 216-225). The resolutions cover the following: the Caucasus and Armenia; Syria; Palestine; Hejaz and Arabia; Mesopotamia, Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. They are preceded by a handwritten note written by Curzon 'some years later', which remarks on how they are a 'rather remarkable forecast of the bulk of the results since obtained.'
- Extent and format
- 1 file (272 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 272; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F112/274
- Title
- Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee
- Pages
- 1r:214v, 216r:272v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence