890g.6363 T 84/75: Telegram
The Special Mission at Lausanne to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:55 p.m.]
234. Department’s 93, January 30, noon. The following informal letter sent to Curzon today. If eventual publication desirable suggest that it be withheld until Curzon has opportunity to reply if he wishes to do so.
“February 1, 1923. Dear Lord Curzon. In view of your statement at the 21st meeting of the First Commission on January 23rd to the effect that the British Government after full examination of the claims of the Turkish Petroleum Company was convinced and remained convinced of the validity of the concessions given to this company for the oil fields of the Mosul and Bagdad Vilayets by the Turkish Government before the war,42 I believe it may be desirable to call your attention in this informal manner to the note of my Government presented by Ambassador Harvey to the British Government [Page 242] on November 17th, 1921,43 as well as to my statement on this subject on behalf of the American delegation,44 a copy of which was delivered to you as President at the end of the 22d meeting of the First Commission on January 23rd in which the American attitude towards this question was set forth. I feel sure that my Government’s position in regard to the nonvalidity of the claim of the Turkish Petroleum Company is clearly understood from the full exposition given in the note and statement above mentioned having particular regard to the statements that the claim be determined by a suitable arbitration if it continues to be asserted. Sincerely yours, Richard Washburn Child.”
- See Great Britain, Cmd. 1814, Turkey No. 1 (1923): Lausanne Conference on Near Eastern Affairs, 1922–1923, etc., p. 361.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1921, vol. ii, p. 89.↩
- See telegram no. 210, Jan. 24, 1923, from the Special Mission at Lausanne, p. 957.↩