Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎259r] (517/544)

3
General Resolution
regarding the
Middle East.
Kurdistan.
Sir ErleR i chards’
Brief.
Persia.
2. The Committee passed the following General Resolution
(E.C.-2773) regarding the territories of the Middle East :—
dw no circumstances should any claim hy Turkey to share in
the sovereignty, real or nominal, of any of the States or
territories dealt with in other Resolutions of the Eastern
Committee, viz., Mesopotamia, Syria, the Caucasus, Armenia,
Palestine, or Arabia, be admitted.”
3. The Committee had under consideration a Note on Kurdistan
(E.C.-2765) by the Political Department, 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. .
Sir A. Hirtzel stated that Sir Erie Richards was anxious
to ascertain the views of the Committee in regard to the
recommendations by the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, quoted in
paragraph 5 of the Note.
Mr. Shuckburgh said that the people of Southern Kurdistan
claimed to exercise the right of self-determination, and had, with
certain exceptions, elected to form themselves into a separate
confederation under British guidance. Their pronouncement to this
effect had been formally accepted by the Civil Commissioner, who
asked for the approval of His Majesty’s Government to his action.
Lord Robert Cecil expressed Ins concurrence, subject to the
proviso that no definite pledge was given on behalf of His Majesty’s
Government that Southern Kurdistan would come under British
control.
The Chairman thought that the Committee might, in the
circumstances, approve the Civil Commissioner’s action, but he felt
that trouble as to this area was certain to arise between the French
and ourselves.
The Committee decided—
To approve the action of the Civil Commissioner at Baghdad with
the rcseirvation suggested by Lord Robert Cecil, and
authorised the Secretary of State for India to reply in the
above sense.
4. In regard to the point raised by Sir A. Hirtzel (vide previous
Minute), the Chairman reminded the Committee that at their
Meeting on the 27th November, 1918, he had informed them that
Sir Erie Richards had been entrusted by General Smuts, on behalf
of the Government, with the task of drawing up our case in regard
to the Middle Eastern territories in a proper term for presentation to
the Peace Conference.
Mr. Montagu said that he understood that Sir Erie Richards
had already completed the major portion of his brief, and he
expressed the wish that copies of the brief might be circulated to
members of the Committee.
Mr. Mowat, on behalf of Sir Erie Richards, who was unable to
be present, said that the brief was complete so far as Mesopotamia,
Syria, Palestine, and Arabia were concerned.
The Committee decided—
That Mr. Mowat should inform Sir Erie Richards that it was
desirable that the latter's brief, when complete and approved
by the Chairman, should be circulated to the Committee,
and that Mr. Mowat should ask Sir Eric Richards to
furnish the Secretary with copies for this purpose.
5. With reference to Minute 1 of the 45th Meeting, Mr. Montagu
enquired when the Committee proposed to resume the discussion of
our policy in regard to Persia.