Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎143v] (286/544)

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Unification of
Military Control
in the Middle East.
Syria:
Proposed Mission.
him. He made no complaint in this connection of the Foreign
Office, but he did not receive many of the important papers from the
War Office and the Admiralty, except through the Secretary of
the War Cabinet and the Eastern Committee. He instanced more
particularly telegrams and papers dealing with the situation vis-d-vis
Turkey as it affected Aden and Arabia.
The Chairman considered that the best course for Mr. Montagu
to pursue would be to take the matter up with the Secretary of the
War Cabinet.
2. With reference to the 35th Meeting (Minute 7), the Com
mittee had before them the Viceroy’s telegram of the 1st October,
1918 (E.C.-1803), and a note by the General Staff, dated
14th October 'E.C.—2047, Appendix (A)), on a proposal for unity of
command in the Middle East.
The Chairman said that, in the unavoidable absence of the Chief
of the Imperial General Staff, he did not propose to invite the
Committee to consider this question at this meeting. He had
spoken to the C.I.G.S. that morning, and General Wilson had urged
that, in view of the altered circumstances since the project had first
been mooted, there was no longer the same necessity for securing unity
of command, and that the proposal might, therefore, be shelved. In
this view the Chairman said he himself concurred, and he had
received a letter from General Macdonogh to the same effect.
Mr. Montagu referred to representations that he had made at
the previous Meeting, when he had informed the Committee that the
Viceroy still pressed for an early decision on the subject.
The Committee decided—
To confirm the decision they had reached at their previous Meet
ing, that the discussion of the question should be resumed
as soon as the C.I.G.S. could be present.
3. The Committee had before them a note by Lord R. Cecil,
covering a memorandum by Sir Mark Sykes, dated the 15th October
(E C.-1943—35th Meeting, Appendix C); a note by the War Office
entitled “Political Service in the Middle East,” dated the 22nd
October (E.C.-2042) ; a draft telegram to General Allenby (E.C.-
2074), copies of which were circulated at the Meeting; and certain
other papers and telegrams bearing on the situation in Syria which
had been circulated since the last Meeting (E.C.-1971, 1999, 2006,
2017, 2043, 2044, 2051, 2053, and 2054).
Lord Robert Cecil stated that the present proposal to despatch
a mission to Syria arose out of Sir M. Sykes’ memorandum. It
appeared that considerable difficulties had arisen between the Arabs
and the French, and he thought that Sir Mark Sykes could be use
fully employed in endeavouring to compose those difficulties. He
might, at the same time, collect information regarding the require
ments of any further political staff now required in the areas occupied
by General Allenby. He attached great importance to smoothing
over the present strained relations between the Arabs, the French,
and the English.
General Thwaites stated that it should be clearly understood
that Sir Mark Sykes was. proceeding to Syria as representative of the
Foreign Office, paid by the Foreign Office.
In reply to a question from the Chairman, Lord Robert Cecil
said that the discussion of a new agreement between the French and
ourselves, with regard to the Middle East, was altogether outside
the purview of Sir Mark Sykes’ mission, and would be taken up at a,
later date by the Governments at home.