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Coll 54/1(S) 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Reconstruction' [‎381v] (766/940)

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The record is made up of 1 file (468 folios). It was created in 20 Mar 1949-13 Dec 1949. 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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- 6 -
in fact interested in seeking a loan* He agreed to 1 let us
know, after studying the papers in Washington, what the
next move should be© ^
MR, CRAWFORD said that meanwhile His Majesty r _s Embassy
at Bagdad thought it was essential for the Haigh^Commission
toremain on in Iraq until the Bank's technical mission
arrived. It was agreed that steps should be taken to
persuade the Iraqi Government to arrange this.
MR. ILIFF then referred to the Overseas Consultants'
activities in Persia c He admitted that the Bank had been
somewhat apprehensive about the Group's method of approach.
The political situation was tricky, and Moscow Radio had
already broadcast an attack on this recent alleged manifestation
of U.S. economic imperialism through the instrument of the
International Banko
He thought it was essential that the O.C.I. should not
give their blessing to any scheme which did not stand a good
chance of success. He was doubtful whether the O.C.I. hal
really tested Persia's financial ability to undertake the
Seven-Year Plan but he was glad to say that Mr. Lotz had
recently agreed to engage a competent financial expert to
examine Persia's assessable capacity to finance the Plan.
MR. ILIFF said he had heard that the Majlis had_
rejected Ebetehaj's Bill for the reduction of the note cover,
and Ebetehaj's estimate of the period during which the Plan
could do without external aid was being steadily reduced.
As regards the Lebanon, MR. ILIFF said he had recently
had a talk "with M. Busson. An interesting point was that^
in the Lebanon exporters retain all but 10^ of their foreign
exchange earningSo The same arrangement applied to remittances
from abroad. Anyone could buy foreign currencies in the free
market at free market rateso Thus, the Lebanon s
imports are not borne on the Lebanon's official foreign
exchange reserves, with the exception of bread grains. The
Lebanon was still contemplating certain small irrigation
schemes (in the Akkar Plain and the Beqaa.) On the whole,
MR. ILIFF thought that the Bank's attitude to the Lebanon
might be slightly less bearish than hitherto.
MR. MCCLOY who rejoined the meeting at this point^
summed up h|s attitude by saying that the Bank was anxious
to help. There must, however, be some substance to the
projects for which the Bank s'aid was sought, and some sign
of good management. If there were something tangible and
definite the Bank could help.
FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.Io
25th Apr i l. 1949 ,

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Content

The file contains papers relating to the Middle East (Official) Committee. It consists of: papers circulated to members of the Committee, received by the External Department of the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO); a few items of CRO correspondence with the Foreign Office, the Cabinet Office, and Commonwealth governments; and a register of papers received or sent by the CRO relating to the Committee, with internal CRO correspondence (at the back of the file).

The file includes agendas for meetings of the Committee, and minutes of the meetings on 28 April, 5 May, 5 July and 19 July 1949. Matters discussed and recorded in the minutes include: the reconstitution of the Committee; the re-settlement of Arab refugees from Palestine; the report on Economic and Social Development in the Middle East by the Working Party of the Committee; the future work of the Committee; the Conference of HM Representatives in the Middle East to be held in London from 26 to 29 July 1949; United States President Truman’s ‘Fourth Point’ (Truman’s message of 24 June 1949 to the United States House of Representatives, communicating a ‘Recommendation for the Enactment of Legislation to Authorise an Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance for Underdeveloped Areas of the World’); and further studies of the Working Party.

The file also includes the following papers prepared by (or approved by) the Working Party of the Committee: draft, revised and interim versions of the report on Economic and Social Development in the Middle East; papers relating to the economic and social development of Iraq, Syria, Greater Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan , Egypt, the Lebannon, Saudi Arabia, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, Eritrea and Somalia, and the Colony of Aden and the Aden Protectorate; and a paper on Middle East oil.

In addition, the file includes other papers relating to matters discussed at the meetings, and the following subjects: Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan ; irrigation development in Iraq; Persia’s [Iran’s] Seven Year Plan for development; informal conversations on social and economic affairs in the Middle East between representatives of the Foreign Office, the Treasury, the British Embassy in Washington, and the United States State Department; the work of the Development Division of British Middle East Office; a survey of the oil resources of the Middle East; and economic development in Cyprus in relation to the Middle East.

Extent and format
1 file (468 folios)
Arrangement

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

Numbers in red pen on the top right hand corner of items in the file refer to entries in the register of papers received and sent by the Commonwealth Relations Office at the back of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 468; 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 54/1(S) 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Reconstruction' [‎381v] (766/940), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/4756, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100043455637.0x0000a7> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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