Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎82r] (163/544)

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[This Document is the Property^of His Britannic Majesty's Government.}
Printed for the War Cabinet. August
SECRET.
E.C. 23rd Minutes.
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WAR CABINET.
EASTERN COMMITTEE.
Minutes of a Meeting of the Eastern Committee held in Lord Curzon's Room at the
Privy Council Office, on Thursday, August 8, 1918, at 4T5 p.m.
Present:
The Right Hon. the Earl Curzon of Kedleston, K.G., G.C.S.L, G.C.LE.
(in the Chair).
Lieutenant-General the Right Hon. J. C. ! The Right Hon. Lord Robert Cecil,
Smuts, K.C. K.C., M.P. (representing the Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs).
Mr. J. E. Shuckburgh, C.B. (representing j
the Secretary of State for India). | Sir R. Graham, K.C.M.G., C.B. (repre
senting the Permanent Under-Secretary
Major-General Sir G. M. W. Macdonogh, ! of State for Foreign Affairs).
K.C.M.G., C.B., Director of Military !
Intelligence (representing the Chief of Mr. L. Oliphant. C.M.G., Foreign Office,
the Imperial General Staff).
Lieutenant-Colonel L. Storr, Secretary.
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The French Syrian 1. THE Committee had before them a memorandum by
Question. gi r Mark Sykes (E.C.-1028) (Appendix) suggesting an order of
procedure to clear up the situation in the event of the occupation of
Syrian areas, which were of special interest to France, by the
Egyptian Expeditionary Force.
Lord R. Cecil explained that Sir Mark Sykes (who was unable
to attend the meeting) had discussed the question on various occasions
with M. Picot, who had shown considerable reluctance to giving any
undertaking on behalf of his Government in regard to Syria.
Lord Robert, with a view to tying the French Government down,
had suggested to Sir Mark Sykes that it would be necessary to
introduce in drafts (A) and (B; (attached to the memorandum) a
proviso relating to our agreements with the King of the Hedjaz.
The point was to ensure beforehand that the French, if and when
we entered Syria, should not make use of our military forces in
order to carry out a policy which was at variance with our general
engagements. As regards France, the policy of our Government
was, when we entered Syria, to place the French civil administration
on the same footing as our own administration in Palestine. The
object of the joint declarations was to show our disinterestedness,
and also to get rid of the objectionable “ imperialistic ” features of
the Sykes-Picot Agreement. The French were particularly anxious
that it should be laid down that their advisers should have political
as well as civil functions. Lord Robert informed the Committee
that the drafts had been discussed but not agreed upon between
Sir Mark Sykes and M. Picot.