Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎70r] (139/348)

CIRCULATED TO THE CABINET t
[5791 h—l] d
[This Docnment is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Govemmeni. i
No. 1 SECRETARY OF STATE.
KASTEUN (Turkey). [March 2.]
CONFIDENTIAL. Section 1.
[Amended Copy.]
| E 2866/1/44] No. 1.
Earl Curzon to Sir 11. Rumbold (Constantinople).
(No. 206.)
Foreign Office, March 2, 1921.
HIS Excellency Tewfik Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , the Grand Vizier and senior Turkish delegate at
the Allied Conference now sitting in London, called on me this week. It was intended,
as I understood, to be merely a courtesy visit, the more so that his Excellency, who is
over 80 years of age, has been in poor health ever since his arrival in England (having
suffered, as he told me, very much from his five days’ journey), and has presented a very
feeble appearance at the few sittings which he has attended.
This did not prevent him, however, from developing a political argument which
occupied about twenty minutes, and commenced with the delivery of a special message
from the Sultan to the effect that His Imperial Majesty was deeply convinced that the
only hope for his country and his throne lay in a revival of the old relations between
Turkey and Great Britain, to which he was ready to agree in any manner that might be
thought best.
I remarked that, pending the conclusion of peace, we could only proceed in close
concert with our Allies, and were precluded from taking any independent action.
Moreover it was a pity that these considerations had not been present to the mind of the
Turkish Government in 1914, when their action in making war upon us had been of a
particularly shameless as well as a suicidal nature.
The Grand Vizier deplored the lamentable errors committed by his countrymen at
that time, which he had done his best to avert, and for which they were now paying
the penalty.
When I asked him whether he was speaking exclusively for the Constantinople
Government and reminded him that in the present conference the attitude of his
delegation had been one of almost complete subservience to the Angora delegates, to
whom they had invariably ceded the word, the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. replied that this had been done
for reasons of expediency, but that really there was quite a good understanding between
them, and that, in respect of friendship with Great Britain, the sentiments of Bekir
Sami Bey were exactly identical with his own. This, indeed, was the feeling of
he entire Turkish people.
When I replied that it was a little difficult to reconcile these inclinations with
the known facts—(l) that a representative of the Angora Government was at this
moment sitting at Moscow in close consultation with the Soviet leaders ; and ( 2 ) that
the same Government was trying to come to separate arrangements with the French
and Italian Governments behind our backs in London—the Grand Vizier did not appear
to be in the least disturbed by these symptoms, which he evidently regarded as
conventional moves in the diplomatic game.
His second request related to the financial position in Constantinople, which he
described (I believe with absolute truth) as desperate. None of the officials or
functionaries had been paid their salaries for many weeks; the Treasury was empty ;
poverty and destitution were widespread ; and unless financial aid were forthcoming
the entire State would collapse.
His proposal was that the Powers should agree to an increase in the customs
duties levied at Constantinople. He seemed to be a little uncertain about his figures,
and did not appear to be thoroughly acquainted with the controversy that has
recently been going on at Constantinople concerning the revival of the old ad valorem
system, to which 1 understand that the High Commissioners have already agreed.
Upon this subject I was non-committal, though sympathetic, and the Grand
Vizier, having discharged his task with the courtesy of an old and experienced diplomat
and received from me the parting advice to persuade his Angora friends to ratify the
treaty as quickly as possible, enveloped himself in a heavy overcoat and withdrew.
1 am, &c.
CURZON OF KEDLESTON.