Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎34r] (67/290)

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The Director of Military Intelligence,
War Office, London, S.W.
I forward herewith for your information a report on the Georgian Government,
which has been received from Major McDonnel, late British consul, 1 iffis.
A precis of this report was sent you by telegram on the 27th January, under
reference -No X. 4590.
(For Major-General, General Staff, British Salonika Force.)
(Signed) , Lieutenant-Colonel, General Staff.
G.U.Q., Constantinople, January 27, 1919.
*
G.U.Q., General Staff, “ Intelligence,’'
Constantinople, No. 2643, “ I.”
Georgian Government.
The following are the names of the members of the present Government at Tiflis :—
Prime Minister
Foreign Affairs
Interior
Finance and Trade
War
Education ...
Supplies
Ways and Means
Justice
Lands and Agriculture
President of the Parliament
M. Jordani (Social Democrat).
M. Gegechkori (Social Democrat).
Ramishwilli (Social Democrat Labour).
Jurilli (National Democrat).
Georgadzi (Social Democrat).
Lorkashash willi (Federatist).
Ardashwilli (Non-party).
Lorkepianidze (Social Revolutionary).
Alexiev Meskiev (Federalist).
Homeriki (Social Democrat).
M. Cheidzi (Social Revolutionary).
Nominally democratic, the Government is really entirely in the hands, ot the
advanced Socialist party in the Parliament, who have gained very considerable
popularity with the labouring and peasant classes. The actual members of the Council
of Ministers are not true Georgians, but either Emeritins or Mongolians ; this causes
a certain amount of discontent among the true Georgians. The methods and ethics of
the Government are ultra-socialistic. Land has already been nationalised, and railways
and all public institutions are to be nationalised during the early part of this year.
The Georgian Government maintains—
( 1 .) That they are already actually an established and independent State.
( 2 .) That no decision of any outside Power or peace conference can alter the fact ot
their independence.
( 3 .) That their boundaries are fixed by the history of their nation.
( 4 .) That all property and institutions at present within the boundaries of historical
Georgia belong to the Georgian Republic.
( 5 .) That they are perfectly able to maintain order within their boundaries, and in
this respect require no help from outside.
1 . The actual establishment of the present Georgian Republic came about with the
advent of the German troops. M. Gegechkori, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, states
that he, as a representative of the then Tiflis Commissariate, applied to Colonel Pike,
the representative of the British Mission in 1 itiis, for British or Allied assistance in
troops and finance in order to keep the lurk out of Georgia and to establish Georgian
independence. On being informed that this was impossible, the lifiis Commissariate
accepted Germany’s offer, and M. Gegechkori left the Government. He subsequently
returned to office on the 4 th December, when news of armistice and the removal of the
Turk and German from the Caucasus was confirmed.
2. Their apparent conviction that nothing can alter the fact of their independence
is based on statements of Mr. Lloyd George and President Wilson regarding the
independence and self-determination of other small nations, and our own support of the
rights of the Armenian people. This conviction makes arguments as to their attitude
towards various questions almost impossible. Statements made by our own Labour
party are constantly brought to bear when discussing their actions and the probability
of these prejudicing their claims to future independence.
[»87]—309 F