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Papers of the Interdepartmental Conference on Middle Eastern Affairs [‎13v] (26/290)

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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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4
himself. Sir Arthur Hirtzel, on being shown the report, had been
equally astonished, and had expressed the opinion that the word
“ Italy ” must be a misprint !
But it was not yet clear if the recommendation of the Military
Committee would be adopted. On Friday night the Prime Minister
had said he was quite sure the entry of the French into Syria would
bring on hostilities with the Arabs. Feisal had asked for an inter
national committee, and the Prime Minister suggested that, at the
meeting on Saturday, Lord Milner should not agree to the with
drawal of our troops from Palestine pending the appointment of
this Committee; and, as it might be invidious to object to the
French entering Syria and at the same time to let the Italians enter
the Caucasus, it would perhaps be best that Milner should play for
time in both places.
So far as he knew nothing further had been done.
The Chairman said there had been nothing settled on the
subject in the reports which he had seen. The whole position was
astounding. The Italians had as little to do with the Caucasus as
he with the Peak of Teneriffe, and it had never occurred to him
that they would come in. No local considerations seem to have
counted. It almost looked like a joke, and to his mind it was a
chimera ; but it was in one way important. It indicated the
acceptance of the principle that occupation was not to be by the
British, and, although it was still possible that the responsibility
might finally devolve upon us—for it seemed ridiculous to believe .
that Italy would step in—it impelled us for the present to a limited
occupation for a limited period. He thought, therefore, that the
limits of our military and political action in the Caucasus should be
clearly defined at the earliest possible moment. But how was
a true appreciation ol the facts to be obtained ? The Conference
was very much in the dark. The military might have done every
thing that was right, but more information was wanted, and he
thought independent advice would prove valuable.
General Radcliffe said that it would be of assistance to General
Milne even now to give him a clear statement of our policy, and to
warn him against becoming involved in commitments and against
attempting to bolster up the Trans-Caucasian States.
(Captain Aylmer arrived.)
The Chairman said that the situation in Trans-Caucasia had
been affected by action taken in the Caspian. He had heard with
surprise that, on the advice of the Admiralty, General Thomson had
sent troops to Petrovsk, that a naval aerodrome had been established
GO miles north ot the railway, and that recently bombing operations
had been conducted against Grozny. All this appeared to be
outside the scheme of our policy, which was to maintain a line of
communications, not to fight Bolsheviks. He asked for information
from the Admiralty why these things were necessary.
Captain Aylmer said that about the move on Petrovsk the
Admiralty knew nothing except that it had been made.
W ith regard to the aerodrome, the Senior Naval Officer had
reported having spoken about establishing an aerodrome 60 miles
further north, but this had not been done. As to the bombing of
Grozny it had been done from Petrovsk, and nobody knew at whose
request it was carried out. So far as he knew it had nothing to do
with the navy, for the placed bombed was 60 miles inland, and he could
not conceive how such a place could have affected the navy.
The Chairman asked for information on the naval situation in
the Caspian.
Captain Aylmer said that at Baku there was the Bussian-
C aspian fleet, two gunboats, and five armed ships ; all these were

About this item

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 [‎13v] (26/290), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/275, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100070539234.0x00001b> [accessed 19 April 2024]

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