Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎62r] (123/348)

A.
(4) That the Powers should' d-ecQJLne to leare the'TJreehs on
the northern side of tha Straits, on the ground that the
he
latter could not/safely entrusted to an enemy State. It
was suggested that the Military Control of the straits might
he vested in the Straits Commission and that the expenses
could he found out of Turkish funds by the financial Commission
sitting at Constantinople.
This proposal would appear to have been made in forgetfulness
of the terms cf the Turkish Treaty. The Straits Commission
composed of representatives of the interested Maritime Powers
has nothing to do with the Military Protection or control
of the Straits. It is concerned, with such matters as Channels,
Harbours and Anchorages, pilotage, lighterage and so on f in
other words with freedom of navigation in the narrow and
technical sense of the term*
The Greets are net at the present moment, nor if the
Treaty is carried out, are they capable of becoming the Masters
of the Straits. When the Treaty has been ratified all forts
and batteries in the Gallipoli Peniinsula and the northern shore
of the Marmora will be destroyed, the only troops will be
Allied troops under the Allied Gomm.-nder-in-Chief at
Constantinople and the only other forces permitted will be
Turkish or Greeks Gendarmerie, under the command and therefore
as regards numbers, under the control of the same olficer.
In these circumstances it is not understood, how it is
possible fer the Greeks, either now or in the future to
become a menace to the Allied Powers or to control the entrance
of the otraits. So long as there are Allied Porces at
Constantinople this is impossible. If , however, the Allied
forces were withdrawn the Treaty would then have been broken
by its own authors and a new situation would arise.