'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎205r] (407/501)

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enquiry into the circumstances of the dispute and recommend such action as may seem
best and most effectual in the circumstances. Lest the Turkish delegation should say
that they will not have a chance of being heard and that their case will not be
adequately represented, let me remind Ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of article 4 of the Covenant, which
lays down that any member of the League not represented on the council (I am
speaking here of Turkey as having become a member of the League of Nations for the
purposes of this enquiry) shall be invited to send a representative to sit as a member
at any meeting of the council during the consideration of matters specially affecting
the interests of that member of the League. Therefore, if and when this matter goes
to the League of Nations, Turkey will at once be invited not merely to become a
member but to sit on the council.
“ The council will have to decide what method of examination to adopt. It may
ask the Turks and the British for their respective views; it may decide to send a
commission to take the views of the Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Christians on the spot;
it may hold an enquiry in Europe, or it may appoint a single arbitrator to settle the
matter. I do not know what it wall do ; but my point is that the Turkish delegation
will be there just like ourselves, and when the two cases have been stated you will get
the most impartial examination which it is possible to secure. Further, article 5 of
the Covenant provides that the decision of the council upon which the 1 urkish
Government will be represented will have to be unanimous so that no decision can be
arrived at without their consent.
“Now I speak with the utmost solemnity: Do the Turkish delegation really
refuse that proposal ? If they do, I venture to say in all sincerity that it will produce
a worse impression than anything which the Turkish delegation have yet done at this
conference. When it goes out to the world that I, on behalf of my Government, ha's e
made this offer, that it will give Turkey the opportunity just described, and that
Turkey refused it without looking at it or examining it, I shall be very sorry to read
the comments that will be passed in the newspapers of the world to-morrow upon the
attitude and decision of the Turkish delegation. I still hope that Ismet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. will
tell me that he did not fully consider the terms of his reply and that his delegation do
not mean the complete refusal which I understood him to give.
“ But I would like to add something more. The matter cannot rest there. Let
us suppose that the Turkish delegation do mean to refuse and persist in their refusal;
what remains to be done ? I cannot leave the case in that position; it is fraught with
too much peril to the peace of the world. I have seen in the papers and I have
information that if the matter is not settled in the spirit which the Turkish delegation
desire, there may be movements of Turkish troops from Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. in the direction of
Mosul’, there may be an attack upon the frontier, there may be an attempt to decide
the issue by military means, there may be hostilities, there may be war. I am here to
make a treaty of peace ; 1 am not here to make war. I am not here to allow conditions
to continue ^to exist which may result in war. Therefore, supposing the iurkish
delegation really mean to refuse and persist in that refusal, I shall be obliged, on behalf
of my own Government, to act independently. I will explain what I mean.
“There is another article in the Covenant (article 11) to which I have not yet
referred. It reads as follows :
“ ‘ Any war or threat of war, whether immediately affecting any of the
members of the League or not, is hereby declared a matter of concern to the whole
Leao-ue, and the League shall take any action that may oe deemed wise and
effectual to safeguard the peace of nations. In case any such emergency should
arise the Secretary-General shall, on the request of any member of the League,
forthwith summon a meeting of the council. _
“ ‘ It is also declared to be the friendly right of each member oi the League
to bring to the attention of the assembly or of the council any circumstance
whatever affecting international relations which threatens to disturb international
peace or the good” understanding between nations upon which peace depends.’
“ If the Turkish delegation refuse my proposal I shall act on that article. I shall
b once address myself to the Council of the League and say that a situation has
risen which seems likelv to disturb international peace and the good understanding
etween nations upon which peace depends. The council will at once meet to consider
e QU estion It will address an invitation to the I urkish Government to state then
qses and in the event of their declining to do so, there will be placed m operation all
ne sanctions which exist in the Covenant. But 1 do not want to take this course ; I

'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎205r] (407/501)

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'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎205r] (407/501)

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