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Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [209r] (417/544)
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.
13
them, as it is one of the things for which they will press. They are as conscious
of the danger as any of us can be.
MR. BALFOUR: Yes.
LORD CURZON : Cannot we each of us interpret the phrase “ for the time
being ” as suits our own convictions ? It is difficult to get absolute agreement. Mr.
Montagu hopes it will be for a fortnight; I think it will have to be longer. I should
not like to give an opinion about the programme put before us by Admiral Hope.
That will require a great deal of consideration. Whether we ought to reinforce the
fleet I cannot say.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : We are going on doing it now.
GENERAL SMUTS : The situation is very dangerous there, and we shall have
to do it.
LORD CURZON : Then that settles the question. It is not proposed that we
should withdraw.
MR. BALFOUR : For the time being. That is the phrase in the resolution.
ADMIRAL HOPE : We cannot maintain control of the Caspian unless we have
the railway in our hands. That is clear.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: I am not sure whether I would not say simply “ It
is important for the time being to maintain British naval control of the Caspian.
It is true it is in the interests of order in Persia, less in Transcaspia, but thqre are
other interests as well.
GENERAL SMUTS : There is Baku.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : Yes, and things of that sort.
LORD CURZON : I do not mind cutting out the first line.
COLONEL STORR: Does the Secretary of State for India wish his dissent to be
recorded ?
MR. MONTAGU : No.
LORD CURZON: Now No. 10.
MR. BALFOUR: That is quite sound.
LORD CURZON : No. 11. No. 12 is a point of ethnography and geography.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I do not know anything about that. I will accept
No. 12 on your authority.
MR. BALFOUR : Are the Georgians in Batum mostly Moslems ?
LORD CURZON : Yes. They were converted hundreds of years ago, but they
are Georgians by descent and are proud of their nationality. Now that Georgia is
starting an independent life it wants to get back to its old friends, and they want to
go back to it.
MR. BALFOUR : If they own Batum it is important that they should go back.
LORD CURZON : One of the difficulties will be the settlement of the future of
Batum. That will compel forces of some sort to remain there till these difficulties
are settled.
MR. BALFOUR: Yes.
LORD CURZON: Now No. 13. I have tried to condense into a single para
graph our views about Armenia.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I entirely agree with your paragraph.
MR, BALFOUR : I have nothing to say against it.
MR. MONTAGU : May I ask a question before we leave the Caucasus and
Armenia? The Eastern Committee is now busily engaged from day to day with
these matters. When would you like to take the discussion, if a discussion is neces-
sarv, on other points? For instance, I should like to take the question of Batum at
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