767.68119/391: Telegram
The Special Mission at Lausanne to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:05 p.m.]
227. Successive meetings of the first, second, and third commissions were held this morning preceded by a general meeting at which Curzon formally presented to the Turks the draft treaty73 which they had informally received Monday.74 The progress accomplished by the commissions was outlined and each chairman emphasized the concessions which had been made by the Allies to the Turks during the progress of the conference.
A general meeting was then reconvened during which statements were read by Child (see our 226 January 31, 4 p.m.) and by the Japanese, Roumanian and Servian delegates.
Ismet in a brief reply pointed out that the draft treaty contained not only articles that had been agreed upon but also articles that had not been agreed to in committees and in addition some entirely new proposals which had never been presented or discussed heretofore. He therefore asked for a period of eight days to enable the Turkish delegation to hold conversations with the Allies in an effort to agree upon [Page 965] the terms of peace. Curzon in reply expressed his satisfaction that Ismet had full powers and need not return to Angora.
A recess was then taken during which the Allied delegates withdrew to discuss Ismet’s request. When the meeting reconvened Curzon stated that although Ismet’s request was eminently reasonable he was for personal reasons obliged to return within a few days to London. Moreover, as he himself had conducted the negotiations for the British delegation he felt that his Government did not wish him to delegate this duty to another person at the final stage of the negotiations.
He was willing however to postpone his departure until Sunday night and he asked if Ismet could not during the interval carry on the necessary conversations. Ismet replied that he would do his best to meet Curzon’s request and the meeting adjourned with Curzon expressing the hope that he would be able on Sunday to shake hands with Ismet on achieving a common victory.