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Coll 54/1A(S) 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Reconstruction' [‎118r] (236/323)

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The record is made up of 1 file (161 folios). It was created in 2 Dec 1949-12 May 1950. 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. .

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/
4.
Record of discussion between Mr. Michael Wright
and members of the State Department,
(Communicated by the State Department.)
SECRET
November 17 f 1949
DISCUSSION ON LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT • IN THE MIDDLE.
EAST BASED ON PAPERS SUBMITTED BY FOREIGN OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE
1. Mr. McGhee said that he had carefully read the Interim Report^ of
the Middle Eas^ (Official) Committee on Economic and Social DeyeiQ*
ment and found himself in general agreement with the policy outimea
therein. This policy was consonant v/ith President Truman s Point
Four Statemerirb and also with the statement which he issued at the time
of the establishment of the Economic Survey Mission. ..The interim
Report of the Economic Survey Mission did not cover Egypt and Iraq
but with this difference the two reports fitted in well together.
Any differences in the United States* thinking were mainly matters oi ^
emphasis e.g. the United States connected the P roble “ ° f lv
development with that’ of the Palestine refugees generally more closely
than was the case in the M.E.(O) C. report.
2. Mr.McGhee said he wished to consider the question of technical
assistance to the Middle East under the Point Four »FSe^vail - 17
the impact of the large number of American experts who would be
able,both £n the British position in the Middle East and on the Middle
East countries themselves. Around five million dollo.ro t d
able for the Near East under the Point Four program and this represented
a very LS nSmhor of experts. The availability of technicians would,
in all probability, be the limiting factor, not funds available. There
was the possibility that in exceptional cases Point Four funds e
available to pay the salaries of suitably qualified local technicians.
Nevertheless, the number of American experts
in comparison -with ,the eight or nine experts at present employed by the
B.M.E.O. The problem of coordinating the British and American efiorts
in the technical field was clearly important.
Mr. Wright said that he warmly welcomed any effort ^which^tho^United
States Government felt it could make in the technical field in
Middle Ealt^ On this subject, the United Kingdom Government had abso-
1 n+alv no reservations. He pointed out, however, that a
survey work had already been done.In the Middle East and that WhaV was
generally required was not fresh surveys and winter visitors hut the
selection and execution of projects which had already worked^out.
a rHri Tint of course, mean that no survey work was required Mr.
foredicatiLrpartic^r.rly'irthftectoical^ield^whlcrmanf competent
observers thought was the ultimate key to the problem.
!FsrS\?rS
hu? here too there, was an inevitahle risk of duplication.

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Content

The file contains papers received or created by the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO) relating to the Middle East (Official) Committee. It mostly consists of papers circulated to members of the Committee, received by the CRO. The file also includes: a few items of CRO correspondence with the Cabinet Office and the Offices of the United Kingdom High Commissioners in Karachi and Pretoria; and a register of papers relating to the Committee received or sent by the CRO, with internal CRO correspondence relating to the file, at the back of the file.

The circulated Committee papers consist of:

  • The agendas for, and minutes of, the Committee meetings of 3 and 17 January 1950, at which was discussed Washington discussions on economic and social development in the Middle East, the utilisation of surplus oil revenues in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , technical assistance to the Middle East, and possible requirements of Middle East governments for sterling assistance for economic development.
  • Papers prepared by the Working Party of the Committee on economic and social development in Sudan, the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. States, and technical assistance to the Middle East.
  • A paper stating the Committee’s general policy regarding the promotion of social progress in the Middle East, entitled ‘The Social and Internal Political Implications of Economic Development in the Middle East’, prepared as a brief for the discussions of the Committee Chairman, Michael Wright, with the United States State Department.
  • A record of discussions between Wright and the State Department, on long-range development in the Middle East, held on 14 and 17 November 1949.
  • Minutes of meetings between Wright, and other Foreign Office and British Embassy representatives, and the International Bank, held on 21, 22 and 23 November 1949, and a joint memorandum summarising the result of the discussions.
  • The final report of the United Nations Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East, entitled ‘An Approach to Economic Development in the Middle East’.
  • The United Nations Resolution of 8 December 1949 to set up a Relief and Works Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East.
  • Other papers relating to technical assistance to the Middle East, and possible requests by Middle East Governments for sterling assistance in connection with their development projects in 1950 and 1951.
Extent and format
1 file (161 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in reverse chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Numbers in red pen on the top right hand corner of each item in the file (apart from one item which does not have a number in red pen) refer to entries in the register of papers received and sent by the Commonwealth Relations Office at the back of the file. The copies of papers listed on the register as being sent to the Economic Registry or Mr Thomson (Economic) are not included in the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 161; 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.

A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 54/1A(S) 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Reconstruction' [‎118r] (236/323), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/4757, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100042384859.0x000025> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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