Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎17r] (33/290)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty s Government.]
Printed for the Foreign Office. March 1919.
SECRET.
I.D.C.E., 7th Minutes.
FOREIGN OFFICE.
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL CONFERENCE ON MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS.
•
Minutes of Conference held at the Foreign Office on Monday, February 17, 1919,
at 5 p.m.
Present :
The Right Hon. the Earl Curzon of Kedleston, K.G., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E.
(in the Chair).
The Right Hon. E. S. Montagu, M.P.,
Secretary of State for India, 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. .
Mr. J. E. Shuckburgh, C.B., 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. .
Lieutenant-General Sir H. Cox, K.C.B.,
K.C.M.G., C.S.L, Military Secretary,
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. .
Captain Coode, Director of Operations
Division (Foreign), Admiralty.
Professor Simpson, Foreign Office.
Mr. G. J. Kidston, Foreign Office.
Mr. J. B. Crosland, Director of Finance,
War Office.
Mr. A. E. Widdows, C.B., War Office.
Brigadier-General W. M. St. G. Kirke,
War Office.
Colonel W. H. Grtbbon, War Office.
| Mr. S. Baldwin, M.P., Financial Secretary
to the Treasury.
Mr. A. P. Waterfield, Treasury.
Mr. S. D. Waley, Treasury.
Lieutenant-Colonel E. V. Gabriel, Occu
pied Enemy Territory Administration,
Palestine.
Mr. E. H. Jones (Secretary).
1. The Conference had before them a Minute on the “ Financial
Situation in Mesopotamia and Palestine,” by Mr. G. J Kidston,
Foreign Office, dated the 10th February, 1919 ; a Minute on the
same subject by Mr. A. P. Waterfield, Treasury, dated the
17th February, 1919,* and a note on the financial situation in the
Caucasus by the Treasury, dated the L7th February, 1919.f
The Chairman said .that troublesome questions had arisen in
connection with the finance of some of the areas occupied by us in
the Middle East, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was anxious
that the question should be threshed out as early as possible. The
difficulty to be met, the Chancellor had pointed out, was twofold :
first, as to the provision of funds to meet the various liabilities in
the occupied enemy territories after the end of this financial year,
and, second, as to the establishment of efiective locqj financial
control. The matter was urgent, because Parliament would have to
be asked to provide funds under a separate vote next year, and for
this purpose an estimate would have to be prepared and submitted
* Appendix I. t Appendix II.
[987]—186
B