Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎263v] (526/544)

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because almost every chief differs. It is not only that you want something 1 different
between Mesopotamia and Arabia, but, as a matter of fact, they are quite different.
Our position with regard to some of the chiefs, Mohammera, for instance, or Koweit, is
much closer than it is with regard to Bin Saud.
LORD ( URZON : We do not want to stereotype our treaty agreements with
them ; we want to prevent them from concluding any treaty with anybody else.
MR. BALFOUR : That is it.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : A kind of Monroe doctrine.
MR. MONTAGU : lou should not mention the word protectorate.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: No.
MR. BALFOUR : But you must call it something.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: I should say you want something in the nature of a
Monroe doctrine.
MR. BALFOUR : That will not work from a Conference point of view.
LORD CURZON : The phrase we used the other day in regard to Svria and
Palestine was “special political interest.”
MR. MON TAGU : “ The British Empire has special political interests, and, as
such, is subject to the consent of the local rulers and Powers most qualified ”
LORD CURZON : What are you quoting from ?
MR. MON 1’AGU : I am quoting from one of these documents. Mr. Balfour, is
not there this danger, too ? I understand that in' the offing of the Peace Conference
there will be Faisal. Supposing Faisal said, “You are going to take Beirut, or some
place like that, and if I want to have that part of Syria, I should like, next to my
father’s dominion, the [inaudible! and all the rest of it; ” through his trying to negotiate
with the French, and the French trying to get him territory that they do not want, all
these treaties with these chiefs might come up.
LORD CURZON : I have not seen Faisal, but do you think he is likely to do that,
because it w r ould involve him in incessant warfare during the first ten years of his
father’s reign ?
MR. MONTAGU : Would not he like to have territory that we promised Bin Saud,
at least ?
LORD (.'URZON : I thought Faisal’s interests lay away to the north. But,
generally speaking, we are agreed, are w^e not, that we must, as far as possible, keep
these things away from the Conference ?
MR. BALFOUR : Yes. You have touched upon a thing which is one of the
things I most hope to get out of the Conference, though I do not think it is v^ery hkely,
and that is an absolute exclusion of French and Italians from our part in exchange for
an absolute exclusion of us from their part. We shall be perpetually quarrelling for
generations if we do not do that.
LORD CURZON : W hen you say “ their part,’’ their part of what ?
MR. BALFOUR : Of Asia and Africa, and everywhere. It is where two
-civilised countries are struggling for the mastery that all the difficulties occur, and if
we could have clean-cut spheres it would be much better. Look at what is going on
in Morocco now with the Spaniards. Look at the incessant danger we are going to have
over Abyssinia. All these are things that make for war and trouble.
»
LORD CURZON : Some allusion has been made to draft treaties that are being
drawn up in the Foreign Office by Mr. Hurst. Are they treaties that it is proposed to
conclude with Turkey or with the Powers, or with whom ?
SIR LOUIS MALLET : Turkey and the Powers.
LORD CURZON : Are there several treaties, or only one, with Turkey ?
SIR LOUIS M \LLET : Ore treatv with Turkey.