Miscellaneous papers on the Near and Middle East [‎34v] (68/70)

to him with great frankness last week on the question of Syria, pointing out to him
that, while w r e desired no mandate for that region, and would certainly refuse it if
offered, the only reason for which a military occupation of Syria by the French had not
been encouraged by our military authorities was that such an occupation would be
absolutely certain to lead to collisions between the French and the native populations.
Upon the French Minister doubting whether this was the case, I informed him—
and this he had not previously heard—that on a recent occasion a French official of
the highest rank had actually been fired upon and wounded by the population of
a district of the Lebanon in which the French claimed a long-standing political
predominance.
Further, I asked whether a stronger evidence of our disinterestedness could be
forthcoming than the fact that, though France had no legitimate claim to Cilicia, had
not received a mandate for that part of the Turkish Empire, and might indeed in the
future not receive one at all, yet we had voluntarily invited French troops to occupy
that country, of which they were now in possession. Not a word of recognition was
given to this fact; while, on the other hand, inspired writers in the leading French
newspapers endeavoured to make mischief as regards Syria by bringing wholly
unfounded charges against this country.
M. de Fleuriau disputed the inspiration under which these writers penned their
articles but I said that I could not doubt seriously that such had been the case.
I urged him to help to keep the relations between our tw^o countries free from
this atmosphere of suspicion and insinuation, of which there appeared to be too many
propagators in the French press.
I am, &c.
CURZON OF KEDLESTON.