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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [122r] (243/544)
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.
7
Mr. Montagu and Lord Robert Cecil said that, as far as their
recollection went, the Committee had pronounced in favour of an
alliance.
The Chairman said that his own recollection was quite
definitely to the contrary.*
Mr. Balfour said that he would agree to (1) and (2) in Cox's
telegram, and he would also agree to handing over the South
Persia Rifles. He thought the Committee should definitely not
agree to the neutral Commission proposal, or to the suggestions
in regard to Turkey and the draft notes.
General Thwaites said that the views of the War Office had
been submitted in their note of the 26th instant (E.C.-1657).
General Marshall, he understood, was not in favour of an alliance.
The Committee decided—
That the Foreign Office should reply to Cox's telegram
in the following sense :—
(a.) Enquiring to what extent our recent successes in
Palestine might have affected the attitude and claims
of the Persian Government.
(b.) That his reply to (a) will he awaited before His
Majesty's Government reply definitely to the proposals
made in his telegram Mo. 831, hut that they are
inclined to sanction the issue of a communique on the
lines of (1) and (2), and that
(c.) /fs regards (3), the attitude of His Majesty's Govern
ment is. that they were disposed to hand, over the
South Persia Rifles to
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
Firma on the terms pro
posed, provided that Cox and the local political
authorities were satisfied that this would he followed
hy no recrudescence of disorder in South Persia.—
(d.) His Majesty's Government deprecated the suggested
neutral Commission, at any rate for the present.
(e.) His Majesty's Government gravely doubted the wisdom
or desirability of the proposed draft notes for various
reasons, including the fact that Turkey might not play
the role assigned to her.
* •
t *
Persia: Arrest of
Obeidullah.
5. With reference to Eastern Committee 32nd Meeting
(Minute 1), the Chairman read telegram No. 829 of the 22nd
instant (E.C.-1660) from Sir P. Cox, forwarding the text of
General Dunsterville’s telegram of the 1st instant, which was as
follows:—
“ I have wired to Baghdad to return Obeidullah Effendi
with all possible speed. Will inform you when he arrives
and leaves Kasvin."
Cox's comment on this was that Dunsterville was reckoning with
out his host, but he did not think that Marling could be expected to
realise that; he agreed that we could not safely part with Obei
dullah if it could possibly be avoided, and he would do his best to
reach a satisfactory solution. The Chairman further referred to a
note from the War Office, dated the 26th instant, to the Foreign
Office (E.C.-1678), stating that, in view of Cox’s telegram No. 829
of the 22nd instant, agreeing as to the danger of releasing this
notorious enemy agent, General Thwaites assumed that Mr.
Balfour would not require the military authorities to take any
further action in the matter, pending receipt of information from
* Secretary's Not —This question was discussed at length by the Eastern Com-
mitOe at their 16th Meeting (Minute 3), in winch the views of those who attended
the Meeting were briefly given. There was no consensus of opinion and no decision
was recorded.
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