| Summary: | The Colonial Office papers contain correspondence, printed material and papers which were created or accumulated as a result of WSC's activities as Secretary of State for the Colonies, a position he held from 13 February 1921 to 24 October 1922. The papers have been divided into correspondence and subject-based files and are arranged chronologically. The Colonial Office material covers WSC's routine ministerial duties as well as with the specific issues of the period including: administration of the Middle East through the Middle East department set up by WSC; the installation of Emir Feisal as ruler of Mesopotamia [later Iraq]; the establishment of Palestine as a National Home for the Jews; negotiations in the Middle East through T E Lawrence [later T E Shaw, "Lawrence of Arabia"] and Sir Percy Cox [High Commissioner, Mesopotamia]; the reduction of the cost of the administration of the Middle East; the Irish Peace Settlement; the racial segregation of Indians; and British policy towards Turkey. General reports of events throughout the British empire shed light on the working of the relationship between Great Britain and the empire and include complaints from Dominion governors on the personal financial difficulties of maintaining their positions and on the proposed discontinuing of the ANZAC day message from King George V. The papers also include regular bulletins to the Dominions on the crisis in Chanak [later Cannakkale, Turkey] in which the British government took a military stand against Turkey and unsuccessfully requested forces from the Dominion governments.
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