Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎39r] (77/348)

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question whether, if no mandate were given or accepted, some form of international
supervision would, or would not, be required ; the supervision of the Caucasus; the
restitution of Armenia ; and the future of Kurdistan. These were matters that required
to be handled, quite apart from those questions the solution of which had to some
extent been prejudged, such as the fate of Syria, Palestine, and Mesopotamia. Upon
these latter questions, the kind of understanding between France and ourselves which
M. Pichon had predicated was most desirable, if we could attain it at the conversations
which he had suggested, we might then approach the larger problems with some hopes
of success.
M. Pichon explained to me in reply that this was an entirely new proposal, which
he would, upon his return to France, submit without delay to the President du Conseil.
lie did not himself regard it with disfavour, but he feared that there might be obstacles
in the way. For instance, he described to me the system of elections going on
simultaneously or in rapid sequence in almost every electoral area and for almost every
conceivable elected body in France. He personally was standing, or was affected, in
four or five different places and capacities. France would not be quit of these
preoccupations till the middle of January, and it ^might therefore till then be very
difficult for French statesmen to go abroad for a discussion. Nevertheless, he promised
to put forward the suggestion, with which 1 told him that M Gambon had for long
been in warm sympathy, and he would let me have an early reply.
In the evening of the same day I mentioned the matter to the President of the
French Republic. His attitude, although most friendly and polite, seemed to me on
the whole to be antagonistic to the project.
I was left with the impression that the French will fight hard, for many reasons
which can be conjectured, to retain in Paris the entire proceedings of the Peace
Conference, and to represent France as the only possible or effective pacificator of
the world.
I did not conceal from M. Pichon that we should find the greatest difficulty in
acceding to any such plan, and I impressed upon him that the proposal I had put
forward was one deserving the most serious consideration.
CURZON OF KEDLESTON.
Foreign Office, November 12, 1919.