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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [108v] (216/544)
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.
6
Arabia:
Siipply of
Bin Saud.
7. The Committee had before them a Memorandum by the
Rifles to Political Department of the
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.
(E.C.-1495) regarding
the supply of rifles to Bin Saud.
Mr. Montagu stated that unless we sent Bin Saud 1,000 ser
viceable rifles asked for, it would be better not to send any. The
Committee had been misled in approving the despatch of 100 rifles
owing to a clerical error in the
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.
. He supported
Mr. Shuckburgh’s suggestion that we should issue 1,000 service
able rifles to Bin Saud in exchange for the 1,000 unserviceable
rifles now in his possession.
General Macdonogh stated that the War Office were opposed
to the issue of any serviceable rifles to Bin Saud, and were also
opposed to the suggested expedition against Hail. He read a draft
telegram which the Chief of the Imperial General Staff proposed
to despatch to the Commander-in-Chief in Egypt, Mesopotamia,
and India (Appendix “C ”).
The Chairman thought/ that the trouble arose from the
encouragement given by Philby to the personal ambitions of Bin
Saud, which were already sufficiently large to cause serious
embarrassment in the future. He suggested that we should inform
Bin Saud that, while our promise to give him 1,000 serviceable
rifles still held good, we could not fulfil the undertaking at the
present moment. It should be Philby’s duty to slow things down
at Piadh and keep Bin Saud quiet.
Mr. Shuckburgh stated that Philby was under the impression
that it was his duty to encourage Bin Saud to undertake hostile
action against Ibn Kashid or other Turcophil Arabs, and if this
policy was now to be altered, definite instructions should be sent
to him to that effect.
The Chairman read a telegram from General Allenby depre
cating any operations by Bin Saud against Hail, on the ground
that any such attack, even if successful, might seriously prejudice
the co-operation of Sherif FeisaTs forces with the British forces
in Palestine.
Mr. Montagu stated that his only wish was to keep Bin Saud
quiet, and that he thought the best way of doing this was to issue
the 1.000 rifles now asked for. He gathered that Sir R Wingate
had no objection to such an issue.
The Committee decided—
2,
That a telegram should he sent to Philby ordering him to
inform Bin Saud that, while not receding from the under
taking to give him 1,000 serviceable rifles, it was not con-
renient to make the gift at the present time. At a later
date the matter might be reconsidered. Philby should
also be told to deprecate any action by Bin Saud against
Hail.
(Initialled) C. of K.
Whitehall Gardens. S.W.
September 11, 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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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