Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎236v] (472/544)

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MR. BALFOUR ; Ou;xht we not to face that in these resolutions ?
LORD ROBERT CECIL : Would you not say something like this : “ In oneway
or another the King should not suffer pecuniarily from the result of the war, having
regard to his increased responsibilities ” ?
LORD CURZON : I think Sir Hamilton Grant is right. Do you think we ought
to put in the first two lines ? We begin by saying, “ It is not desirable that the King
of the Hejaz should continue after the war to be subsidised either by Great Britain
or any Christian nation,” and then we proceed to devise the means by which he is to
be subsidised by us. I should have thought it would be better to leave out
our disclaimer in those two lines.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : Would you like to say “ directly subsidised?” I think
it is undesirable on political grounds that we should keep the King ol the Hejaz
in our pay permanently.
SIR HAMILTON GRANT : If we could get France and Italy, as Moslem Powers,
to join us and to subsidise him purely on the ground that we are large Moslem Powers
with Moslem subjects who are interested by their religion in the Holy Places in this
particular country, and by a communique and by announcements make it clear that we
were not doing it as Christian Protecting Powers, but as Moslem Powers in the
interests of our own Moslem subjects who are interested in the well-being of the Holy
Places, would not that be the best thing to do ?
MR. MONTAGU : That, being a Christian nation, we have to act as a Moslem
nation ?
SIR HAMILTON GRANT: I think in our capacity as a Moslem Power we
might work under that.
LOUD CURZON : I think I see my way now. May we retain the first sentence,
and put in the word '• directlv ” ? “ It is not desirable that the King of the Hejaz should
continue after the war to be directly subsidised either by Great Britain or any other
Christian Power. The subvention formerly paid to him by the Turks should he replaced
as far as possible by annual subventions from the Arab State of Syria and possibly from
the Arab States of Mesopotamia. These subventions might be paid to him as Keeper
of the Holv Places. There would, however, be no objection to the payment to him of a
joint subsidy by Great Britain, France, and Italy, as great Moslem Powers, for the pur
pose of protecting the interests of their pilgrims,” or words to that effect. Is that on the
lines of your suggestion, Sir Hamdton Grant ?
SIR HAMILTON GRANT : Yes.
LORD CURZON : There is nothing invidious in saying we are great Moslem
Powers, because we are distinguished from the other Great Powers of the world in that
regard. That is the ground of the subvention.
MR. BALFOUR: Will you add a rider, that he is not to have less than he had
before ?
LORD CURZON: Yes.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: We have called ourselves a Christian Power; it is
difficult to call ourselves a Moslem Power later on.
MR. SHUCKBURGH : Say “ European Power.”
LORD ROBERT CECIL: Say “ in respect of their Moslem subjects.” We are
not a Moslem Po^er. strictly speaking.
LORD CURZON : “ There would, however, be no objection to the payment to him
of a joint subsidy by Great Britain, Fiance, and Italy.”
LORD ROBEIiT CECIL: “ In res])ect of their Moslem subjects in the pilgrimage.”
LORD CURZON: No, because anybody else who has Moslem subjects would
claim 10 do the same. Whet Sir Hamdton Grant is after, and I agree, is that these
three Powers are differentiated from any other Powers in the world by the greatness of
their Moslem population and interests.
MR. BALFOUR : “ As the Powers with the largest Moslem populations.”