Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎123r] (245/348)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty s Government.]
Printed for the Cabinet. January 1922.
SECRET. 76^^ ( ^ —
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CONVERSATION BETWEEN LORD CURZON AND M. POINCARE AT
THE QUAI D ORSAY ON MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1922.
J/. POINCARE began by saying that he must warn Lord Curzon that he was
not ready yet to discuss the questions of which Lord Curzon desired to speak. He
had not seen papers nor been in touch with Eastern matters to any considerable
extent since the conversation he had had with Lord Curzon in London. He there
fore wished to excuse himself for being unable to give any immediate answer.
Lord Curzon replied that he did not wish to embark on any detailed discussion
at this stage; that would not be fair to M. Poincare. He wished to know, however,
when it would be convenient to hold the discussion on Near Eastern questions : the
Treaty of Sevres, which had been negotiated at London and San Remo had been
signed but not ratified. Every month it had become clearer that it was impossible
to execute it. The Turks and Greeks had been invited to the Supreme Council in
March last and had declined the propositions then put forward with a view to a
modification of the treaty. They had preferred to fight. Lord Curzon thought
that was a mistake. Then'Lord Curzon had come to Paris last summer and had
met M. Briand and had proposed the mediation of the Powers. The Greek Govern
ment had been asked to place themselves in the hands of the Powers. They had
declined—foolishly again, he thought—for, after an initial success, they had been
thrown back. That was the last stage of united action on the part of the Powers.
In the course of the recent autumn, the necessity for fresh action had become more
manifest. Lord Curzon had proposed to M. Briand that this action should be in
two stages. Firstly, there should be conversations between the Foreign Minsters of
France." Great Britain and Italy at Paris at the earliest time convenient to
M. Briand. He thought this should result in common agreement on the terms to be
put to the combatants for the last time after this proposal had been agreed to. Since
then PI is Majesty’s Government had been a good deal distressed and shocked by the
Franklin-Bouillon Agreement. We had protested and asked for explanations. The
correspondence had now been published. His Majesty’s Government, however, had
always been firmly convinced that the only way to reach a solution was by an
absolute understanding between the Allies. We had accordingly been willing to put
the Franklin-Bouillon Agreement temporarily in the background, and it had been
arranged that a meeting of the three Foreign Ministers should take place in
December. Then M. Briand had come to London and the Cannes Conference had
ensued But it had been arranged that the Eastern discussions should follow
immediately in Paris. To facilitate and expedite this Lord Curzon had drawn up
a basis of discussion containing proposals for a solution. This had been sent to the
French and Italian Governments. At Cannes, before M. Briand s resignation,
M. Briand had told Lord Curzon that he considered the document a good basis of
discussion, and the Italian Foreign Minister had said the same. Then came the
change of ’ Government in France. Lord Curzon now wished to know the earliest
moment when the postponed discussion should take place. He was ready to go to
Paris at any time convenient to M. Poincare—next week, if necessary. He had
seen the Marquis della Torretta at Cannes, who also said that he would come on
receipt of a telegram. The matter was urgent ; the whole peace of .the East was
trembling in the balance. _ . ,111 . i
The conversations between the three Foreign Ministers should, he suggested,
proceed as follows. Thev should go through the whole Treaty of Sevres on the
basis of his note, deciding what to keep and what to eliminate. The discussion
should not end without an agreement between the Allies, and such an agreement
should not be difficult. As soon as they had agreed on the terms to be put to the
Greeks and Turks, there should be a Supreme Council. He had proposed to
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