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Middle East Committee and Eastern Committee [4r] (7/42)
The record is made up of 1 file (21 folios). It was created in 18 Jan 1918-31 Dec 1918. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
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bird Curzoft,
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
Printed for the War Cabinet. February 1918.
SECRET.
M.E.C. 2nd Minutes.
(New Series.)
WAR CABINET.
MIDDLE EAST COMMITTEE.
Minutes of a Meeting of the Middle East Committee held in the Secretary of State's
lioom at the Foreign Office at 11*30 a.m. on Saturday, January 2G, 1918.
Present:
The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, O.M., M.P. (in the Chair).
The Right Hon. Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, K.G., G.C.B., G.C.S.I.,
G.C.M.G.
[Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade).
, G.C.I.E., G.C.V.O., LS.O.
The Right Hon. Lord Robert Cecil, K.C., M.P.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, Bart., M.P.
Major-General Sir G. M. W. Macdonogh, K.C.M.G., C.B.. War Office.
The Rio-ht Hon. Lord Islington,
G.C.M.G.
[Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade).
, D.S.O.
Mr. J. E. Shuckburgh,
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.
.
Colonel J. Buchan.
Captain Hon. W. Ormsby-Gore, M.P. (Secretary).
Palestine:
(a.) Inclusion of
French and
Italian Otlicers in
Administration.
1 ’alestine:
(b.) Religious and
International
Idlliculties at
Jerusalem.
1. General Macdonogh reported the receipt of a telegram from
General Allenby (E.A.-770), in which the Commander - m - Chief
expressed his view that it was not practicable to appoint any french
or Italian officers to administrative posts in Palestine, as had been
suggested by the Committee.
Mr. Balfour accepted the decision of the Comroander-in-Chief,
but wished it to be clearly understood that, in the event of a time
being reached when such appointments might be made, the 1 rench
and Italians should be treated on an equal footing.
The Committee had before them a telegram from General
Allenby (E.A.-681) regarding the attitude adopted by M. Picot in
regard to his official recognition at the Sunday Mass in the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre and the consequent friction that had
arisen with other nationals, particularly with the President of the
Franciscans.
Sir Mark Sykes pointed out that M. Picot attached importance
to the ceremony as it was the symbol of the I rench claim to exclusive
protection of Latin Christians in the East; ever since the anti
clerical regime in France the Vatican had ceased to support the
French claim.
He also pointed out the system now in vogue in regard to the
guards placed over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre involved the
mounting of troops of different nationalities on different days. Ihis
arrangement might very well result in abuses.
Lord Hardinge expressed the opinion that it might prove
desirable that the arrangement should be altered and that British
Military Police should be substituted for these different national
guards.
[195—2]
About this item
- Content
This file relates to two War Cabinet committees: the Middle East Committee (originally named the Mesopotamian Administration Committee), and the Eastern Committee, both chaired by George Curzon.
The first half of the file consists almost entirely of printed minutes of meetings of the Middle East Committee, dated 19 January, 26 January, 2 February, and 18 February 1918 respectively (ff 2-9). The main topics of discussion in these minutes are British policy in Palestine and future British policy in Mesopotamia.
The second half of the file contains correspondence received by Curzon regarding the workings of the Eastern Committee, which inherited the responsibilities of the Middle East Committee (ff 10-21). The correspondents are as follows: Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, War Cabinet; Edwin Samuel Montagu, Secretary of State for India; Robert Cecil, Foreign Office. The letters discuss the dissemination of the committee's minutes among military representatives, the frequency and attendees of committee meetings, and whether the committee should be severed from the War Cabinet and absorbed by the Foreign Office's recently created Middle East Department. One letter touches on Anglo-Persian relations.
Also included is a note by Curzon, dated 27 October 1918, regarding a memorandum from the advisory committee of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department (ff 17-18).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (21 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the final folio with 21; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F112/273
- Title
- Middle East Committee and Eastern Committee
- Pages
- 1r:21v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence