Miscellaneous correspondence, reports, maps and other papers concerning the Middle East [‎66r] (132/220)

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and that “ the Syrian question will be discussed ex
haustively at the Peace Conference ” ? And, indeed, if
the 1916 Agreement between Great Britain and France
is to be the basis for the settlement of that part of the
Middle East which it covers, how is that compatible with
the joint declaration of the 8th November, 1918, in
which the two Powers propose to hase the settlement on
the self-determination of the inhabitants?
12. It is further to be noted that the French fire not
merely taking up self-determination platonically, but
have approached the Armenian National Delegation with
a view to obtaining from Nubar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. a request for
French assistance for the future Independent Armenian
State, which, in virtue of the principle of self-determina
tion, is to include not merely the Armenian territories of
Turkey, which were assigned to France under the 1916
Agreement, but also the Turkish Armenian territories at
that time assigned to Russia, the Turkish Armenian
territories which were to he left to Turkey, and, above
all, the Armenian territories hitherto included in the
Russian Empire, though in 1916 there was, of course, no
idea of Russia giving them up.
13. Thus the French are now attempting, on the
principle of self-determination, to secure priority of
political assistance for themselves in three large territories
in which they have no footing under the Agreement,
while they maintain that the Agreement is immutable
in the cases of Syria and Northern Mesopotamia, where
the application of self-determination would probably work
out to their disadvantage.
14. This claim is of course monstrous, and we shall
be on very strong ground if we take the line that they
must proceed consistently either on the one basis or the
other.
15. We can point out that the three Armenian areas
which the French hope, on the principle of self-determina
tion, to bring within their sphere, are exceedingly rich in
minerals ; that they contain valuable ports and railways
already constructed, and still more promising prospects
of future construction ; and that the effect will be to
carry French influence to the Black Sea and establish it
along an important section of its southern littoral, adjoin
ing that area in northern Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. in. which the French
have already secured railway and harbour concessions in
return for their loan to the Ottoman Government in 1914.
16. If self-determination is to bring the French such
vast unexpected gains, they will have little to complain
of if in Syria and Northern Mesopotamia it causes them
certain losses. But if they refuse to accept these losses,
and insist here on the 1916 Agreement being carried out,
then that Agreement must be taken as the basis every
where, and on this basis it is inadmissible that the French
should, acquire the whole of the former Russian sphere in
Asiatic Turkey and much more besides, while Great
Britain acquires nothing. On this basis, either the
Russian sphere must be partitioned between the two
Powers, or it must he assigned to some third Power, to
preserve a balance.
17. Obviously, however, the last two suggestions
are a reductio ad absurdum, for the partition of Armenia
on such a principle is out of the question at this stage
of the war, would never be consented to by the American
Government, and would raise a storm of indignation
among all the Allied and Associated peoples, against
which no Government could stand.