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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [136r] (271/544)
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
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[This Document is the Property .Of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.!
Printed for the War Cabinet. October 1918.
SECRET.
E.C. 35th Minutes.
4
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, October 16. 1918. at 3 P.M.. and
Fridau. October 17, 1918, at 10-30 a.m.
Present:
The Right Hon. the Eari. Gorzon of Kedleston, K.G., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E.,
(in the Chair).
Lieutenant-General the Right lion. J.
Smuts, K.C.
The Right Hon. E. S. Montagu, M.P.
Secretary of State for India.
The Right Hon. Lord Robert Cecil,
K.C., M.P., Assistant Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs.
The following were also present:
Sir Eyre Crow*, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.,
Foreign Office.
Sir Mark Sykes, Bart, M.P., Foreign
Office.
Mr. L. Oliphant, C.M.G., Foreign Office.
Rear-Admiral G. P. W. Hope, C.B.,
Deputy First Sea Lord.
Mr. J. M. Keynes, C.B., Treasury.
Sir Thomas W. Holderness, G.C.B.,
K.C.S.I., Under-Secretary of State for
India.
Mr. J. E. Shuckburgh, C.B.,
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 - General Sir G. M. W.
Macdonogh, K.C.M.G., C.B., Adjutant-
General to the Forces.
Lieutenant - Colonel W. H. Gribbon,
C.M.G., War Office.
Lieutenant-Colonel L. Storr (Secretary).
Major the Hon. W. Ormsby-Gore, M.P., Acting Deputy Secretary.
*
Caspian Situation:
(a.) BicharakofFs
Subsidy;
(/>.) Control of
Caspian Fleet;
(c.) Financial
Commitments in
Persia.
The Chairman drew the attention of the Committee to a memo-
ndum submitted by the War ( ffice on the subject of General
cbarakoff's subsidy (E.C.-1'J45, dated 15th October). It would
ipear that since the last meeting of the Committee a rupture ha
ken place between Bicharakoff and the British whereby the former
ld it himself adrift from all relations with us. This action
labled us to consider afresh the question of continuing any pay
outs to Bicharakoff, who was still at Petrovsk. The main point to
insider was whether the withdrawal of the subsidy would affect
sadvantageously our communications with General Alexieffs forces
General Macdonogh expressed the view that it would be a Yery
x>d thing to get rid of General Bicharakoff. Ihe Turks were
B
[365—34]
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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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [136r] (271/544), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/274, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100069672678.0x000048> [accessed 18 June 2026]
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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