Papers of the Mesopotamian Administration (later Middle East) Committee [‎39r] (79/80)

5.
LOBD ROBERT CECIL stated that the Italian difficulty
was also acute, due to the perpetual Jealousy felt by the
Italians for the French, and the claims put forward by the
Italian Nationalists with regard to the custody of the
Christian Holy Places.
LORD ISLINGTON read an interesting letter that he had
received from an Officer, who had been present at the Allies’
entry into Jerusalem, and who had subsequently been.invalided
home .and in the course of his journey had stopped in Rome
where he had interviews with our representative at the Vatican
and with-Cardinal Gasparri, the pope 1 a Secretary of State.
Cardinal Gasparri had spoken very definitely to this Officer
upon two, points • •
. (l) He stated that while His Holiness had been kept
closely informed of the situation in Palestine
by the Germans and Austrians he had been given
no information whatever by the British since the
. capture of Jerusalem.
(2) He stated most categorically that the Pope’s *
wishes were that the British, and not the French,
should remain in control and possession of the
•Holy Placesas they alone were in a position to
adjudicate fairly between the claims of rival
Christian sects and rival Christian Nationalities.
GENERAL IJACDONOGK stated that ati the instruction of
the Foreign Office he had telegraphed to General Allenby
suggesting to him that he should appoint two French and
two Italian Officers to be selected by hin to important
posts in Palestine, but that General Allenby had replied
that he could not at present see his way to carry out this
request though he was'willing to appoint two Frenchmen and
two Italiansas Sanitary Officers.
The Committee, were unanimously of the opinion
that the War Office should press General Allenby
to carry out the original suggestion for diplo
matic reasons, but that important pasts such as
the Governorship of .towns should be given to
one French and one Italian Officer while a less
important post should be given to the other
French and Italian Officers.
LORD HARLINGE undertook to draft a telegram
to this effect for the War Office to send to
General Allenby.
It was also decided that an effective means
should be devised to furnish . periodical infor
mation to the Vatican.regarding the situation in
Palestine.
The position 4, The Committee had before them telegrams from the
of Ibn Saua, Viceroy and Sir Reginald Wingate discussing the policy
the Emir of to be adopted towards the' Emir, Ibn Baud of Nejd. The
latter appeared anxious to operate against Ibn Rashid
the Emir of Hail but desired, considerably greater material
than diplomatic support from us. It was pointed out that
considerable divergence of interest existed between King
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