Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎265r] (529/544)

LOUD ROBERT CECIL: Yes, only the Middle East Department is to be put>
in close relationship, in some way or another, with the 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. and the Foreign
Office.
MR. MONTAGU : It can only be taken away from the Government of India if
their interests are safeguarded.
LORD CURZON : Have you ever drawn up your conclusions? Have you ever
put them in writing?
LORD ROBERT CECIL : 1 do not know that I have, except in various minutes
to Mr. Balfour.
LORD CURZON : You contemplate not merely creating a Department and
combining the interests of the Foreign Office and the 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. , but having a
Secretary of State, with the full authority of a Secretary of State, at the head ?
LORD ROBERT CECIL : Ultimately, yes. I thought it would ultimately grow
into that ; but whether it was to begin in that way or slowly grow was not ever made
quite clear. There was some plan by which Sir Arthur Hirtzel and Sir Eyre Crowe
were to meet and discuss what cculd be done. I do not know whether that was ever
done.
SIR A. HIRTZEL : Yes. I think Sir Eyre Crowe put up a minute.
LORD CURZON : What will happen nowg when we get to the Peace Conference.
Is your new Middle East Department doing it, or both the Offices ?
LO RD ROBERT CECIL: Both the Offices. I have urged that we should try
and get it into one hand, but the technical difficulties of doing it have been too much
for me so far.
LORD CURZON : When the new Government is formed and you, unhappily, are
not in office, is Mr. Balfour then responsible for the whole of this ? For the moment
he is.
LORD ROBERT CECIL: I do not know. The new^ Assistant Secretary of State
may do it.
MR. MONTAGU: I have always felt that you could never administer these
countries by any authority unless the special interests of India were safeguarded. No
plan, it seems to me, has yet been devised, because the suggestions that always seem
to me to be the best for the moment are the situations analogous to the Department of
Overseas Trade and combination between the two Offices. That seems to me to be the
best for the moment, and that has not so far proved acceptable. Simply handing these
districts to the Foreign Office does not give me sufficient guarantees. Our recent
history with regard to Persia teaches us a lesson on that.
KURDISTAN.
LORD CURZON: Have not we a small question about Kurdistan? We were
asked by the 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. to give authority.
MR. MONTAGU: Only to approve what Colonel Wilson has been telling us
occurred. I think that is all.
MR. SHUCKBURGH : Authorising carrying on as at present if the Committee
are satisfied.
LORD CURZON : I think it is right, I foresee trouble, however, with the French
over this.
MR. SHUCKBURGH : The Kurds in certain regions have self-determined them
selves, and asked to be made into a separate Confederation attached to the Iraq State,
and Wilson is encouraging them on those lines. We should like to be able to tell him
he is quite right.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I see no objection to that. Of course, he must not do
anything to give them a definite pledge that they are going to be under British control.