Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎38v] (76/290)

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Armenia stretching down to Cilicia, has not yet. been decided.
It is not unlikely that Armenia will, so far as it is protected by
any European State, be protected by France as part ol the
general settlement of Asia Minor and the Arab countries.
Whether similar duties in connection with* the Caucasian
Eepublics will be entrusted to us or some other Power is not
yet settled. Peace Conference will determine this question.
In any case we have no intention of converting these territories
into a British Protectorate, or annexing them or entangling
ourselves in any commitments which will involve the permanent
maintenance of large forces in the district. Whatever steps,
therefore, are taken should be such as will not involve us in any
lomr-continued obligations to the inhabitants, and will be mos
consistent with the complete independence of these Republics.
It is stated still more fully in the resolutions adopted at the
43 rd Meeting of the Eastern Committee, 16th December, 1918.
If we eliminate the tv^o factors of Bolshevism and General
Denikin s campaign, the situation in the Caucasus amounts to this:
action was taken by our authorities on the spot with a view to (a)
maintaining order, (b) bolstering up the new Republics which we had
stated w r e desired to see “ strong” ; but in endeavouring to carry out
our policy they have found themselves forced by circumstances into
wider commitments than were intended by us, e.g., there arose
1 . Military operations which threatened to become much more
extensive than had ever been contemplated.
2 . A possibility of political commitments which might assume
an undesirably permanent character ; and
3 . A complicated financial situation.
The successive situations which arose were dealt with at three
meetings of the Eastern Committee :
(a.) Eastern Committee, 48th Meeting, 30th December, 1918,
when (in reply to telegram No. 94154 of 26th December, 1918,
Constantinople, stating “the Georgians considered it
unnecessary to send British troops to maintain order in Geoigia )
the Committee decided “to instruct the War Office to telegraph at
once to say that the military commanders both at Batum and Baku
should be informed that it w as no part of His Majesty s Government s
policy to embark on any operations at any distance from the Batum-
Baku line, as our troops in that area were intended for the purpose
of protecting the railway, and maintaining through communication
from the Black Sea to the ( aspian.
(b.) I.D.C.E., 6 th Meeting, the 13th February, where the
situation, as far as it was then known, was discussed. The result
of the discussion w^as the despatch of telegram No. 75327 to General
Milne. It states :—
(i.) His report is awaited.
(ii.) Meantime, military and political commitments must be
limited to a minimum.
(iii.) Outlying detachments not essential for protecting Batum-
Baku Fine to be withdrawn (except Petrovsk).
(iv.) No commitments of military or financial nature with local
States.
(v.) To send home an officer with local knowledge to advise on
Caucasus.
(c.) I.D.C.E., 7 th Meeting, the 17th February, which dealt with
the financial situation which had arisen as a result of military
efforts to stabilise finance. The Conference decided
(i.) To stop issue of rouble notes, and to state that our policy
should be to avoid all interference 0 with local currency