Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎105v] (210/348)

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Allied control at Constantinople were tightened, ii‘ at the same time the three Allies
gave active help to Greece at least with money and munitions of all kinds and x>erhaps
with some staff officers, it should not be impossible to bring Kemal to reason next
spring.
There will, however, be certain unknown quaiitities, e.cj., the attitude of Russia
and the extent to which she can still help Kemal, the comparative strength of Greeks
and Turks in men and material at that date, the ability or willingness of our Allies
to join in any prolonged coercion of the Turks, and, lastly, the possible reactions in
Irak and the Moslem world of an active support of Greece against Turkey, however
arrogant and unreasonable the attitude of the latter might have been.
On the other hand, even if the Greeks with Allied help were able to beat Kemal,
and the Angora Government were to dissolve, the difficulty of any permanent settle
ment would remain both at Smyrna, which a victorious Greece could hardly in those
circumstances be asked to leave, and in the interior of Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. , which would probably
become a prey to chaos.
All these considerations point to the desirability of the Allies going to the utmost
limit of reasonable concession in order to reach a settlement with the Turks.
l astly, I come to the third contingency, viz., that both Greeks and Turks may
prove intractable and may refuse in such a way that neither side deserves any favours
from the Allies. In that case there seems nothing to be done except to hold the ring
(neutrality as usually understood towards both parties) for another campaigning
season, when a decision in Asia Minor one way or the other may be reached. This
third situation seems the least probable, if only in view of the power of the Allies
to put effectual pressure upon the ( ireeks.
Hypothetical as such a discussion must be, 1 should like to reach in advance a
measure of agreement in Paris as to common action in each case on the above lines.
With the accompanying summary of proposals, 1 circulate four maps which I have *
had prepared of the areas that will have to be dealt with, viz., ( 1 ) Smyrna ; ( 2 ) Pastern
and Western Thrace ; (3) Cilicia ; (4) the demilitarised zones on the Straits.
C. of K.
December 19, 1921.