Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎193r] (385/544)

3
ANNEX.
Shorthand Notes of a Meeting of the Committee held in Lord Curzons Room at the
Privy Council Office, on Mo7iday, December 9, 1918, at 3 p.m.
ARMENIAN RELIEF.
LORD CURZON : Before we proceed to our business this afternoon, 1 should like
to ask one question. At our last meeting but one, when we discussed the question of
Armenia and agreed to the despatch of an American vessel or vessels for the purpose of
relief, a feeling was expressed that at the same time we should set in operation our
Armenian Relief Fund here, in order to do what it could, more ^specially for the relief
of the distressed Armenians in the southern areas affected, that is to say, Aleppo and
the neighbourhood. Since then a number of telegrams have continued to come in
pointing to the lamentable condition of the peoples in that area and the urgent need for
relief. I would ask, before we proceed, whether anything has been done to stimulate
the energies of our own people, because this is a matter of human life. We can see
from the telegrams that thousands are in danger of perishing from week to week, or
even from day to day, and it must be some time before any American vessel can arrive
upon the scene from wherever it sails. Meanwhile, our responsibilities are very great.
I do not know if anybody has charged himself with the duty of doing anything in the
matter ?
SIR LOUIS MALLET : Sir Eyre Crowe has had the conclusions arrived at by
this Committee.
(Mr. Balfour entered.)
LORD CURZON : Have you heard anything about it, Mr. Balfour ?
MR. BALFOUR : I have heard nothing about it, and I have never had anything
to do with it at all. Some time ago, before the matter came before this Committee, I
indicated that I thought we ought to encourage the Americans to go, although great
objections were raised in some quarters. I have not done anything about our own
Committee, which is new and quite out of my purview.
LORD CURZON : Your policy was practically adopted.
MR. BALFOUR ; Yes, so I understand.
LORD CURZON : Meanwhile, telegrams continue to come in from General
Clayton and others every day, and before the Americans can get there many of these
people will have perished.
MR. BALFOUR : Are we in communication with the Relief Committee ?
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I think they are aware of the urgency of the matter.
I understand their attitude was, and indeed it is imposed on them by the necessities of
the situation, that there is not any food to send from here to Armenia ; and, therefore,
it is really a question of what they can get from America. I think they were ready
to supply a certain amount of money and a certain number of people to go and organise.
This Committee decided that they should be entitled to do both, and I suppose that
decision has been conveyed to them.
LORD CURZON : I raised the question with a view to seeing if any action was
being taken. Perhaps the Foreign Office will make a note of it.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : Yes, we will ascertain what has been done.
ZIONISM.
MR. MONTAGU : May I say a word, as I was not present at the last meeting.
There were two aspects of your deliberations at the last meeting in which I am
interested. It seems to me useless, at this stage, to delay the Committee for a second
on one of them, namely the continual references in the shorthand notes to a “Jewish
people,” a “ Jewish nation,” “ the wishes of the Jews of the world.” As the Committee
knows, I deny that there is a Jewish nation or a Jewish people. The policy of His
Majesty’s Government is framed on the desires of a certain section of cosmopolitan
Jews, largely, as I think,'of German sympathies. I do not want to delay you to raise
that question.