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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [62r] (123/544)
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.
9
o
had decided that the War Office should telegraph to the General
Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia, instructing him to tell Dunster-
ville to arrange, if possible, to destroy the reservoirs and pipe-lines.
The idea of attempting to destroy the oil-fields had had to be
rejected, as it seemed impossible to do this effectively with the
means at our disposal, and the cost of compensation, if it were
decided that this were necessary, was prohibitive. At their 14th
Meeting, Minute 3, the Committee had decided that their instruc
tions to the General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia, should
stand.
General Macdonogh thought that it had been understood that
all the necessary preparations for destruction should be made,
but that the demolition should not be actually carried out without
His Majesty’s Government’s sanction.
The Committee decided—
That the War Office should be instructed to telegraph to General
Marshall to the effect that their original instructions held
good, and that the time and means of demolishing the
reservoirs, plant, and pipe-lines, if these were likely to fall
into the hands of the enemy, were left to General Dunster-
ville s discretion.
(Initialled) C. of K.
2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W.,
July 4, 1918.
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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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [62r] (123/544), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/274, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100069672677.0x00007c> [accessed 18 June 2026]
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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