أوراق بقلم كرزون بشأن الشرق الأدنى والأوسط [ظ‎‎٧‎٦] (٣٤٨/١٥٢)

informed with what was passing and to show iis the document before it was signed.
He could see no reason why this should not have been done, but we were living in
days now when the old conventions were not always strictly observed and when,
conversations took place, and arrangements were made between Prime Ministers which
sometimes superseded the efforts of the old diplomacy. Had M. Briand been acting as
Foreign Minister, he would undoubtedly have behaved in the way 1 had suggested.
On the other hand, as Prime Minister, he evidently thought he had discharged his duty
by whatever communications he had made to the British Prime Minister.
I replied to this argument, which did not‘altogether convince me, by postulating
a situation in which the British Government having done the same or a similar thing,
and the Comte de Saint-Aulaire having come to me on instructions from his Government
to make a protest, I had delivered the reply with which I had just been favoured
by him Would he have been altogether satisfied with such an explanation?
His Excellency endeavoured to dismiss the subject as one of no great importance,
arising from the peculiar circumstances of the hour.
I said that I was not content to accept this plea and that I had discharged what I
thought was a necessary duty in informing him of the point of view, from which we
had no alternative but to regard it.
1 am, &c.
CURZON OF KEDLESTON.