Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎152r] (307/380)

I .—General Commitments,
(i.) His Majesty’s Government have not committed themselves to giving up any
of their pre-existing rights, relations, facilities, or other interests, political or economic,
in this region (e.cj., territorial possessions, protectorates, capitulations, concessions to
British subjects, &c.).
(ii.) They have declared in a general way that the non-lurkish populations shall
be liberated from Turkish misrule, and given an opportunity of national life and economic
development. . .
(iii.) They have pledged themselves, in general or specifically, that the legitimate
interests of the Moslem world, Jewry, the Boman Catholic Church, and other interna
tional bodies in shrines and holy cities situated in this region, or in territories in this
region where they have traditional claims, shall not be prejudiced in the settlement, or
even that they shall be secured more satisfactorily than hitherto.
They have also pledged themselves to the satisfaction, if possible, of specific
desiderata of their Allies, and they are morally bound to take all legitimate interests
of their Allies into consideration.
(iv.) They have entered into positive permanent liabilities, both military and
political, towards certain independent Arab rulers, and have assured the inhabitants of
certain occupied territories specifically that they shall not be put back under lurkish
rule.
II .—Commitments in Different Areas.
(1.) As regards Eui'opean Turkey and Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. , His Majesty s Government are
not pledged to the extinction of an independent l urkish National State, but they did
provisionally agree (see Schedule, No. 12) that Italy shall establish such direct or indirect
administration or control as she desires in the Green Area, and shall have political and
economic priority in Area C, though the latter is to form part of an independent State
(presumably Turkey). Italian rights in the Green Area and Area G are subject to the
following limitations : Smyrna is to be a free port for British and Jbrench trade; the
existing Ottoman customs tariff is to remain in force tor twenty years ; and there are
to be no internal customs barriers between any of the “ coloured or ‘ lettered areas.
The British-owned Aidin Hallway m the Green Area is protected by a mutual
undertaking on the part of Great Britain, Italy, and France (No. 12) that the interests
of each Power in the areas assigned to the others shall be scrupulously respected.
His Majesty’s Government have not consented to any modification of the Capitula
tion Treaties in European Turkey or Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. , or in any other part of the former
territories of the Ottoman Empire ; but since these treaties are bipartite only, they
have lapsed with the war and will have to be renewed specifically if their maintenance
is desired.
As regards the Control of the Black Sea Straits, His Majesty’s Government are no
longer bound by their qualified acceptance of the Russian circular telegram of the
4th March, 1915, in which Russia claimed those portions of the littoral of the Straits
which are coloured yellow on the map. Their hands are now entirely free in regard both
to the control of the Straits and to the disposal of Constantinople.
(2.) As regards the Dodekannese group of islands, which are still nominally Ottoman
territory, but have been occupied by Italy since 1911, we have pledged ourselves that
Italy shall obtain complete sovereignty over them (No. 7, article 8).
As regards Cypirns, we are pledged not to cede it to any third Power without the
previous consent of France (No. 11, article 4.)
(3.) As regards Armenia, we are bound, perhaps juridically and certainly morally,
by article 61 of the Berlin Treaty (No. 3), under which Turkey is pledged to
“ introduce ameliorations and reforms into the provinces inhabited by Armenians.”
This article was substituted, at our instance, for article 16 of the superseded treaty of
San Stephano, which provided that the Russian troops should remain in occupation of
these provinces until satisfactory reforms were carried out. Turkey has actually
omitted to carry out her pledge for forty years, in spite of repeated protests from His
Majesty’s Government, and has udded the massacres of 1895-7, 1909, and 1915 (the
worst of all) to her record of misrule.
It is clearly incumbent upon us to put an end to these wrongs to humanity and
violations of an international treaty to which we are a party, now that it lies within
our power to do so.