Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎178r] (355/544)

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the question, “ Whom do you want to be your friend to look after you ? ” Perhaps the
the same might be done in other cases. In Armenia, when the population has settled
down, I think probably the Conference would have to indicate who should be the
tutelary Power.
LOUD ROBERT CECIL : I think I ought to say this. Colonel Lawrence is
back from France, and he tells me that he gathers the French Armenians are very keen
for France to take over Armenia.
GENERAL SMUTS: Those are people living in Paris. It maybe that is the
solution. It may be that Lord Robert Cecil is right, and that to get out of the Sykes-
Picot Agreement we may have to project France to the North and get her ont of the
South. I must frankly admit, from the point of view of the future, I do not look upon
that with great pleasure, because there is no doubt this is one of the great roads through
Asia. We have been rudely awakened by the dangers of this route through Asia from
the Black Sea to the Caspian.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I agree it is a vital question, and one which ought to
be discussed.
GENERAL SMUTS : I should not like to see a great European Power there; I
would rather see America there.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I would rather see America there, certainly. The
difficulty is, what are you to do with the French ?
GENERAL SMUTS: I am rather for playing up to America, and moving her on
to back us up. Even if she is beaten, she will be our friend and stand by us.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : The difficulty will be tD get her as a starter at all.
GENERAL SMUTS : I do not know as to that. We have heard the argument
about the copper mines, relief, and so on. Lord Curzon has asked about Mesopotamia.
I am not sure if it is not going to be a solution of Mesopotamia either. Supposing we
are going to establish an Arab State, to which we are pledged ; we have quite frankly,
sincerely, and honestly said that we are not going to annex the country, and we do not
want the country. The country wants a helping hand, and some Power must give a
helping hand there. That Power is ourselves. Is not the natural solution that there
should be this Arab State, or States, and that these Arab States should indicate us as
their friends ? We are told that in the consultations now taking place they are going
to indicate us as their friends. We say we are prepared to put out a friendly hand
here, to be the tutelary Power; we do not do it in our own right. We are willing to
do that, and we are prepared to do it without any reference to a League of Nations.
The result will be that the relics of the Turkish and Rusdan Empires are settled in this
way, on the lines of a large policy, and there is no annexation by anybody. Certain
Powers are indicated to look after certain areas, and these Powers are indicated, where-
ever possible, by the populations themselves. Where they cannot do it, as in the case
of Armenia, the population is poor, and, in fact, I do not think there is any population,
the Conference must deal with it. It is the same with Palestine ; like Armenia, the
population will not indicate anybody in particular. The population is so mixed.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : I am afraid I must go now, but may I say a word
before I leave ?
LORD CURZON : We can resume the discussion on another day, if y ou like.
LORD ROBERT CECIL : —about the great military Power which has been
mentioned, as to which I quite agree. This region is part of the route to India, and a
great Asiatic thoroughfare, and for some things it would be better to have the Americans
there than the French. If the Americans are there, they are not there permanently.
They will never hold it permanently, and then, whenever the Russians may recover,
they may come down there. The Russians are much more formidable to us than the
French. The French cannot get at these places at all except by sea. As far as we can
see, they will never be able to do anything in the military sense in these places, miles
away from their base ; but if the Russians come, they could and would be a very
formidable Power there.
GENERAL SMUTS: I agree with what Lord Curzon has said; we should keep
all these things in a sort of suspense account.