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'Papers relating to transfer of Middle Eastern Affairs to the Colonial Office and creation of a new Department there, 1920-1921, with Cabinet notes of Milner, Montague, Churchill, self, and others' [62r] (123/136)
The record is made up of 1 file (68 folios). It was created in 1 May 1920-10 Feb 1921. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
Middle-Eastern Affairs.
DUM BY THK SECRETARY OF STATE FOR \\'.\R.
SECRET.
(This P ocument Is the Property_ot _
77 ^ Mqlp^TV's Government.)
r THE CABINET.
Having given careful consideration to these subjects, I would ask the
Cabinet to approve the following decisions in principle:—
(l) The report of (he Inter-Departmental Committee on the scope and
('vmanisation of the Middle Iki^Tn^^artment, subject to a clear affirmation
tha^the initiative and efl^tive conmlFk^ all policy within the Middle
Eastehv^rea as defined j^y tlie Committee shciit T')^'tested in the Secretary o^
State for tTTe’TVyioiTrt^r" Action can then be taken to set up n .departn-r^nt
and to develop a policy.
(2) That a conference should be held in Egypt in the early part of
March, at which the Secretary of State for the Colonies should meet our
principal military and civil representatives in Mesopotamia, and such other
officials of the Middle Eastern Department as he may think fit. (See my
telegram No. 81.)
(3) The decision as to the moment when the present Commander-in-
Chief in Mesopotamia shall be replaced by an officer whose junior rank will
be more appropriate to the reduced permanent garrison shall rest with the
Secretary of State for the Colonies. (It is proposed to take this decision
after the conference referred to in para. 2.)
(4) The Cabinet should indicate for my guidance what they consider
would be a suitable grant-in-aid for Mesopotamia after the present evacuation
of the main body of the troops has been effected and the reduced force is
holding the country. This grant-in-aid should be prescribed on a three
years’ basis beginning with the financial year 1922-23. Unless 1 know the
length my colleagues are prepared to go, it is impossible for me to ascertain
whether a suitable force can be formed to hold the country and how much
of the country can be held. Unless the Cabinet can see their way to
authorise plans to be made on the basis of about 7,000,000/. a year for three
years after the present year, I doubt very much whether it will be possible
to discharge the conditions of the mandate. At a later stage 1 shall be
prepared to indicate a much smaller figure for Palestine, but 1 am not
sufficiently informed on the subject at the present time. The aggregate of
these two figures will constitute the Middle Eastern grant-in-aid, and they
will comprise all other expense, by subsidies or otherwise, that may be
incurred in the areas in question.
W. S. C.
War Office,
10th February 1921.
3321—1 100 2.21
About this item
- Content
The file contains correspondence, minutes, memoranda, and reports concerning the administration of Mesopotamia and other Middle Eastern territories and the transfer of responsibility for Middle Eastern Affairs to a new department within the Colonial Office. Authors and correspondents include Curzon himself, members of the Cabinet, officials from 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. , Foreign Office, Colonial Office, Air Staff, Imperial General Staff, and High Commission in Baghdad.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (68 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order from the front to the back.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 68; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 1-68; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Papers relating to transfer of Middle Eastern Affairs to the Colonial Office and creation of a new Department there, 1920-1921, with Cabinet notes of Milner, Montague, Churchill, self, and others' [62r] (123/136), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/281, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076639645.0x00007c> [accessed 3 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F112/281
- Title
- 'Papers relating to transfer of Middle Eastern Affairs to the Colonial Office and creation of a new Department there, 1920-1921, with Cabinet notes of Milner, Montague, Churchill, self, and others'
- Pages
- 1r:2v, 5r:39v, 41r:68v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence