Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎112r] (223/544)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government j
Printed for the War Cabinet. October 1918.
SECRET.
E.C. 32nd Minutes.
:/4
WAR CABINET.
EASTERN COMMITTEE.
Minutes of a Meeting of the Eastern Committee held in Lord Curzons Room
at the Privy Council Office on Wednesday, September 18, 1918, at 3 p.m.
Present:
The Right Hon. the Earl Curzon of Kjsdleston, K.G., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E.,
(in the Chair).
Lieutenant-General the Right Hon. J. C. The Right Hon. E. S. Montagu, M.P.,
Smuts, K.C.
The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, O.M., M.P.,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Secretary of State for India.
General Sir H. H. Wilson, K.C.B., D.S.O.,
Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
Also present:
The Right Hon. the Lord Hardinge of
Penshurst, 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).
Major-General W. Thwaites, C.B.,
Director of Military Intelligence.
Lieutenant - General Sir H. V. Cox,
K.C.M.G., C.B., C.S.I., 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 L. Storr (Secretary).
Persia :
Arrest of
Obeidullah.
1. General Wilson, with reference to Eastern Committee, 29th
Meeting, Minute 3, said that there was some divergence of
opinion between his own Department and the Foreign Office as to
the arction that should be taken in the case of Obeidullah, in respect
of whom two telegrams had been received from Sir Charles Marling,
the terms of the first of which were inaccurate ; it appeared possible,
therefore, that Marling was also misinformed in respect of his second
message. Marling had referred to a telegram of Dunsterville’s which
had not been received by the War Office, and Marling had been
requested to furnish a copy. Obeidullah was at present at Baghdad
as a prisoner of war, and the contention of the Foreign Office was,
that as Marling had promised that he should be released, this
promise must be fulfilled. General Wilson suggested that no further
action should be taken until a copy of General Dunsterville’s telegram
had been received.
Mr. Balfour said that his Department were quite prepared to
detain Obeidullah in custody if a sufficient and legitimate cause for
so doing could be furnished ; otherwise, of course, it would be
impossible for Marling to go back on his word.
The Committee agreed—
That action should be deferred for the present.
[365—31]
B