[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
Printed for the use of the Cabinet,December 1916.
[To be returned to the Secretary, 2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W.]
WAR CABINET, 2.
Minutes of a meeting of the War Cabinet, held at Montague House, Whitehall Gardens, S.W., on Monday, December 11, 1916, at 3 P.M.
Present:
The Right Hon. A. Bonar Law, M.P. (in the chair).
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The Right Hon. the Earl Curzon of Kedleston, K.G., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E
The Right Hon. Viscount Milner, G.C.B., G.C.M.G
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The Right Hon. A. Henderson, M.P.
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In attendance
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The Right Hon. A.J. Balfour, O.M., M.P., Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The Right Hon. the Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, G.C.B., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., G.C.M.G, G.C.V.O., Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The Right Hon. the Lord Robert Cecil, K.C., M.P., Minister of Blockade.
General Sir W.R. Robertson, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., D.S.O., Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
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The Right Hon. Sir E. Carson, K.C., M.P., First Lord of the Admiralty.
Admiral Sir. J.R. Jelicoe, G.C.B, O.M., G.C.V.O., First Sea Lord of the Admiralty.
Vice-Admiral Sir H.F. Oliver, K.C.B., M.V.O., Chief of the War Staff, Admiralty.
The Right Hon. A. Chamberlain, M.P., Secretary of State for India.
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Lieutenant-Colonel Sir M. P. A. Hankey, K.C.B., Secretary
Colonel E.D. Swinton, D.S.O., Assistant Secretary
The Balkans.1. THE Chief of the Imperial General Staff reported that while the greater part of the British Reinforcements that we had undertaken to send to Salonica had arrived there,The transport of French Reinforcements. the French were still very behind as only part of the first two divisions they had agreed to send had arrived. Some 7,00 British Drafts still have to be sent, but the French force at Salonica is short of some 50,000 drafts.
The First Sea Lord said that the French had asked for the loan of five troop-ships and four horse transports; they had requisitioned all their own available shipping, having taken up twenty-nine extra ships, and still had to find seven hospital ships. The Admiralty had looked into the question and found it impossible to lend the five troop-ships. The War Office had been asked if they could spare four of our horse transports if we did not send any more divisions to Salonica, but had not yet replied.
