767.68119/398: Telegram
The Special Mission at Lausanne to the Secretary of State
[Received February 5—4:15 a.m.]
236. The conference dissolved tonight at 8 o’clock after the Turks had presented counterproposals75 and after a last informal session in which the Allies were fully represented. The rupture was brought about by the position taken by the Turks in rejecting all compromise on rights of special jurisdiction for foreigners and in objecting to provisions for economic concessions, some of which we regard as imprudent or harmful. The whole British delegation departed after Curzon had expressed hearty gratitude to us for our conduct during [Page 967] proceedings, especially in moments of tension, and for the efforts we had made toward the end to arrange an accommodation with the Turks. A decision to leave immediately is announced by the Italians. We hear that Bompard has been recalled to Paris to discuss the situation with Poincaré and that for the time being the rest of the French delegation will remain in Lausanne. For the present there is little prospect of reassembling the conference. It seems to us that the failure of the conference has been due to lack of unanimity among the Allies, to Curzon’s disregard of Turkish nationalism, and to the perseverance … of the Turks.
It is impossible to predict with certainty whether peace will be preserved, and whether France will not negotiate on her own account with Turkey.
We think that we should by all means leave immediately, but request immediate instructions committing the decision of this point to our judgment.
- For Turkish counterproposals, see Great Britain, Cmd. 1814, Turkey No. 1 (1923), p. 837.↩