Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎131v] (262/544)

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He thought that if it was proposed to reopen the question of
the future of Basra, the Indian Government ought to be con
sulted. The real danger to be feared was that King Hussein
might demand it. Indeed, he had already put forward dehnite
claims to which we had sent no reply. He agreed that
it was desirable to prevent the French from making any declara
tion on their own account.
Sir Mark Sykes said that in July last the whole question of
the Anglo-French Agreement had been brought before the Com
mittee, and had been discussed at several meetings. He himself
had pressed for a decision, as both M. Picot, who was in England
at the time, and he himself felt that it was very necessary that
their respective Governments should make up their minds what
they intended to do without delay.
The Chairman pointed out that it w T as no fault of the
Committee that no decision had been reached. The whole
question had been exhaustively examined at successive meetings
in July and August, and he understood that the matter had been
finally left for discussion between Sir Mark Sykes and M. Picot.
He had expected that the Committee would be informed before any
further steps were taken. It was therefore with some surprise
that he learned that the matter had apparently been settled by
the Foreign Office without reference to the Committee.
The Committee agreed # that—
(A.) Every possible endeavour should be made to induce the
French Government, in view of the changed circum
stances since the French-Syrian Agreement was signed,
viz., the elimination of Russian and the extravagance
of Italian claims, to consent to its abrogation out
side the limits of Syria proper.
(B.) A revised draft should be prepared with the least pos
sible delay for acceptance by the French Government,
on the lines generally of the report of the Conference
at the Foreign Office as modified at the foregoing dis
cussion, special reservation being made of the follow
ing points in the draft: —
(i.) The Tigris and Euphrates valleys to be excluded
from that portion of the Agreement relating to
Area A, which provided for special rights to
be exercised by the French in relation to—
(a.) rights of enterprise and local loans;
\b.) exclusive right of appointing local
advisers or foreign functionaries at the
request of the Arab State or Confedera
tion.
(ii.) The rectification of the Palestinian frontier and
the exclusion of old Palestine from the blue
area.
(iii.) The blue area to be limited if possible to Syria
proper.
(iv.) The future of Armenia to be provided for.
And decided—
That the Chairman and Lord Robert Cecil should consult
together with a view to the necessary action to be
taken.
*Note by the Secretary.— hordi Robert Cecil dissented from this conclusion and
said that he understood the decision of the Committee to have been as follows
(ct) Every possible endeavour should be made to induce the trench (I 0 ^eminent, in
view of the changed circumstances since the French-Syrian Agreement was signed,
viz., the elimination of Russian, and the extravagance of Italian, claims, to consent to
its modification ; {b) The arrangement made at the Foreign Office to be ratified, but
a letter to be written covering Ihe ratification in which the French Government
should be asked to consent to such modification, calling special attention to the
impossibility of including the Euphrates and Tigris valleys in Area A, and the
necessity of a rectification of the Palestinian irontier; (c) In any negotiation for a
new agreement the future of lesser Armenia should be reconsidered.
*
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