Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎239r] (477/544)

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LORD OTTRZON : Mr. Balfour, the position you have sketched would really, in
practice, be an intolerable one. It would mean that while the King would be at liberty,
having appointed a Minister here, to make any representations to the Foreign Office
that he chose, through a Minister of considerable rank, you yourself would have no
means ot communicating, in reply, except bv telegram to a commercial agent, who
would be useless for the purpose. There ought to be some reciprocity.
MR. BALFOL T R : That is a matter of form. You can appoint what man you like.
I might ask Sir Louis Mallet to go as commercial agent in a very important case.
LORD CURZON : Really, we act up to the word as well as the spirit of our
undertakings. We do not contemplate anything more than a man for the pilgrimage.
MR. BALFOUR : That is what we all contemplate.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : This is a serious point, and it is not a matter of form.
You are going to confine it to the pilgrimage. I am rather sorry we put in the words
“ or trade. ’ I should like to confine it to pilgrimage and have no other agents there.
For one thing, I would exclude all German agents. 1 do not see why they should have
an -agent at all in the Hejaz. No doubt you can, and the French do, use their com
mercial agents for diplomatic purposes, but they have to do it sub rosa, and under
great difficulties, and if it is found out we make strong observations. It hampers
the thing altogether, and it does to some extent put the Hejaz—and that is the object
of all these things—outside and isolated from all international politics. That is what
1 understand is the object.
SIR LOUIS MALLET: That is the object.
MR. BALFOUR : That is so.
LORD CURZON : You cannot exclude trade. At the present moment we have
a Vice-Consul at Jeddah.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: You cannot exclude trade, perhaps, but I agree that
it ought to be confined strictly to trade, and if we catch them at anything else strong
representations ought to be made.
MR. BALFOUR : Will you read section 3 as it now stands ?
LORD ROBERT CECIL: “ It is not desirable that the King’s foreign relations
should be controlled bv any European Power, and no such claim should be made by
His Majesty’s Government.”
MR. BALFOUR : I think that would work in with it. If somebody said, “ Does
that mean he is to be free to do anything he likes ? ” you will have to say, “ No, it
does not.”
LORD ROBERT CECIL : It means, “ We do not want to control you, but you
are not to enter into foreign relations at all.”
MR. BALFOUR: That is it; I accept that.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: I think that is a sound policy.
LORD CURZON : Then we must put in something in No. 5. I suggest: ‘‘It
would follow, and should be stipulated, that any agents kept by the Powers in the
Hej az should have no diplomatic status or functions, but should be confined to purposes
connected with the pilgrimage or trade. Equally, the King of the Hejaz should not be
allowed to be represented by diplomatic agents at foreign Courts.”
MR. BALFOUR: He would not be allowed to send a representative to a
coronation, for instance?
LORD CURZON : Yes, surely. He would be a mere delegate to a ceremonial
function.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I do not think he ought to do anything of the kind.
He ought to confine himself to a telegram.
LORD CURZON : We have now passed the whole of the Hejaz Resolutions, and
will take the remainder of Arabia on another day.
2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W.,
December 18, 1918.