Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎91v] (182/544)

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as the servant of the Foreign Office, while retaining his position as C ivil Commis
sioner in Mesopotamia and Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
4. The fourth point raised by Mr. Montagu deals with the control of military
operations in Eastern theatres.
Two alternatives are suggested, and each is elaborated as shown below :
(a.) The whole war area from Palestine eastwards to be managed from India
by the Government of India.
Elaboration: Palestine and, perhaps, other theatres might be
excluded from the Eastern area.
(b.) The establishment in London of a Middle-East War Department as a sub-
department of the War Office to conduct the war in the East.
Elaboration : This Department should, perhaps, be set up not in
London, but in Egypt, Baghdad, or further East (India).
With regard to proposal (a) the General Staff are of the opinion that in agree
ing to the control by India of military operations and intelligence organisation in
Turkestan, East Persia, and South-West Persia, they have decentralised their con
trol as much as is safe and practicable.
It must be remembered:—
(i.) That the campaigns in Palestine and Mesopotamia are closely connected
both with each other and with campaigns in Europe, and also that an
enemy offensive in the East (which is the foundation of Mr. Montagu’s
paper) might be so directed as to render this connection even more
intimate than at present.
(ii.) The forces operating in North-West Persia are based on, and form part of
the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, and must be controlled through
the headquarters of the latter force.
(iii.) The situation in Turkestan is largely dependent on military developments
in Russia and Siberia.
These considerations make it impossible to enlarge the sphere which has been
allotted to the Indian Government for military control, while the fact mentioned in
(iii) gives rise to the question of whether Turkestan should not be excluded from
that sphere. It is, however, considered unnecessary to make any charge in this
respect at present.
With regard to Mr. Montagu’s second proposal, viz., the creation of a “Middle-
East War Department,” this has at first sight much to commend itself. The idea
has. however, been previously considered by the General Staff and has not been
found practicable. Unity of control over operations in all theatres of war is essential
if the available man-power is to be correctly distributed. Similarly, it is essential
that the co-ordination of all military intelligence should be centralised if the enemy’s
intentions are to be correctly gauged. The same argument points to the necessity
for centralisation as regards the control of the administrative services. These
considerations rule out the suggestion that the proposed branch War Department
should be set up somewhere in the East and put a limit to the degree to which the
suggestion could be advantageouslv developed, even in London. Another important
consideration is that the setting up of a separate Eastern War Department would
involve the employment of a considerable number of officers possessing knowledge of
the political and military situation in the East, and suitable qualifications for the
executive functions of such a department. These officers could not be found without
denuding the staffs in the Eastern theatres.
As the war in the East develops it may, however, be necessary to make some
changes within the existing organisation in the direction of the proposal put forward
by M>. Montagu. A suggestion, which is put forward with much diffidence as it
trenches upcn the interior organisation of the 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. , but which may be
admissible as Mr. Montagu has raised it with the D.M.I., is that the existing
functions of the Military Secretary at the 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. should be divided among two
officers, the one dealing with General Staff questions alone and acting in these
matters both as the deputy of the C.I.G.S. and as an official of the 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. , and
the other dealing with all other matters now appertaining to the Military Secretary
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at the 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. .
War Office, July 15, 1918.
(Signed) HENRY WILSON, C.I.G.S.