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Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎3v] (6/290)

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The record is made up of 1 file (145 folios). It was created in 7 Jan 1919-7 Dec 1920. 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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2
Persian plateau. The engineers had found a line from Khanikin to
Kermanshah which, would avoid a rope railwaj 7 up the lak-i-Girra,
and was now being surveyed. It was very desirable for strategical
purposes to have an entry on this side into Persia.
As regards the Tigris line, the War Office were opposed to any
advance beyond Shereimich in the direction of Mosul.
In reply to a question from Lord Curzon whether the W ar Office
agreed that there should be as little connection as possible with the
Caucasian system, he stated that the War Office were definitely
opposed to any extension in the direction of Tabriz.
Major-General Thwaites concurred in the views expressed by
Major-General hadcliffe.
The Chairman then asked for the views 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. .
Lieutenant-General Cox said that 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. agreed to the
proposal to develop the “through Euphrates” route and also to
the extension of the line from Baghdad to the Persian frontier. He
laid stress, however, on the difficulty in the way of establishing any
general scheme for the future until the decisions of the Peace
Conference had cleared the air. He read a memorandum by
Sir Hamilton Grant, in which the latter deprecated any attempt at
settlement while the political future was uncertain, and expressed a
hope that the Government of India should be further consulted
if there was any idea of laying down a general programme
at once.
General Cox also read extracts from a memorandum by
Sir A. Hirtzel, which made similar recommendations. He thought
that the railway surveys should be pushed on as far as possible both
into Persia and towards Mosul, but he was doubtful whether our
relations with Persia would admit of much construction in that
country.
Mr. Shuckburgh concurred.
The Chairman in reviewing the general situation suggested
that the pivotal point of our position was Baghdad in relation both
to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to the Persian frontier and the road to Teheran,
and to the basins of the Upper Tigris and Euphrates, and the
possible future of the old Baghdad Railway. We should hold and
develop our connection with Baghdad from the Gulf and not from
the west, and should build up a position there which would enable
us to exercise a dominating influence in every direction.
lie did not believe in building any line Irom the Gulf ports to
Shiraz or Ispahan, nor in a line through the Bakhtiari country to
Ispahan, nor again in a line through Luristan to Khorremabad.
This would be rendered impossible, partly by the nature of the
country, partly by the opposition of hostile tribes.
The only line to push forward without delay was from Baghdad
to Khanikin. The extension to Kermanshah could not be arranged
without Persian consent, but there was no objection, while we were
in military occupation, to making all possible progress with the road
to Kermanshah, and, if possible, to Hamadan.
He was nervous as to the Tigris proposals, where he thought
that any advance would lead to trouble with the French. For this
reason he would prefer that the line running up the Tigris should
stop.
He was opposed to any railway by the Wazna Pass in the
direction of Tabriz ; but did not see any objection to the surveys of
an alternative route via Kerkuk to Mosul while we were still in
military occupation.
The question of the gauge to be adopted on the Euphrates line
was then discussed.
Sir H. Burt understood that the permanent way had been
constructed with a view to conversion from metre to standard
gauge. He was opposed to this conversion.

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Content

This file is composed of papers produced by the Foreign Office's Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs. It consists entirely of printed minutes of meetings of the conference, most of which are chaired by George Curzon.

Those attending include senior representatives of the Foreign Office, 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. (most notably the Secretary of State for India), the War Office, the Admiralty, the Air Ministry, and the Treasury (including the Chancellor of the Exchequer). Other notable figures attending include Harry St John Bridger Philby and Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell.

The meetings concern British policy in the Middle East, and mainly cover the following geographical areas: Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, Trans-Caspia, Trans-Caucasia, the Caspian Sea, Palestine, Persia, Hejaz, and Afghanistan. Some of the meetings also touch on matters beyond the Middle East (e.g. wireless telegraphy in Tibet, ff 79-80).

Recurring topics of discussion include railways (chiefly in relation to Mesopotamia), Bolshevik influence in the Middle East (particularly in Persia and Trans-Caspia), and relations between King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] and Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd].

Several sets of minutes also contain related memoranda as appendices.

Extent and format
1 file (145 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 last folio with 145, 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
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Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎3v] (6/290), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/275, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100070539234.0x000007> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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