the National Assembly of Turkey. These Deputies had been elected under conditions of liberty and independence equal to those of all other countries. Turning to the question of a plebiscite, he really could not see in what respects it would be found difficult to carry it out. In his view, it would be very easy to take the special measures which were required with a view to security and owing to the situation of the migrating tribes. It was sufficient to accept the idea of a plebiscite in principle. Ismet Pasha could not concur in the proposal to submit the solution of the Mosul question to arbitration. The arguments on which the Turkish case rested were so convincing, and were conceived in such a spirit of right and equity, that it seemed to him extremely easy to examine them in the commission itself and to reach a solution at once. In a question like that of Mosul everyone would be unanimous in recognising the soundness and justice of the Turkish case. He had no doubt that in this matter the public opinion of the world would be in Turkey's favour. The delegation of the Government of the Grand Assembly had come to Lausanne to make peace-a peace of justice and equity. No one would tolerate that peace being menaced on account of the Mosul question. The Turkish delegation had ever since the opening of the conference shown the great goodwill with which they were animated and the immense sacrifices which they were ready to make for the sake of universal peace. The conference was no longer at its beginning; public opinion in all countries had had time to follow and examine the causes which the Turks were defending and to realise how moderate and equitable they were. Ismet Pasha therefore begged the British delegation to accept the principle of restoring Mosul to Turkey. LORD CURZON said: "I will only say in conclusion that I regret very much that the Turkish delegation have resisted the advice that was given to them with so much authority by M. Bompard who spoke with, I may say, such convincing force, and by the heads of the Italian and Japanese delegations. I think that Ismet Pasha will be somewhat surprised when he sees what the opinion of the world, to which he has appealed, is upon this matter. I have stated on behalf of my Government the action which I shall be compelled to take, and I shall take it without delay." MR. CHILD handed to the president before the close of the meeting the text of a statement which the United States delegation wished to have inserted in the minutes. (The commission rose at 7:20 P.M.) ANNEX. Statement presented by the United States Delegation, LORD CURZON has expressed the detachment from the British claim to continue as administrators of the mandate of Mesopotamia, of questions pertaining to resources of the country. In the course of his remarks he expressed also the attitude of himself and of his Government towards certain concessions in that territory in a manner clearly to indicate that the British Government would hold aloof so far as possible from making such concessions the subject of diplomatic interest and restated his belief in the principle that large factors in the world's resources should not become the subject for monopolistic development. The American representatives taking no part in the territorial settlement, nevertheless, are glad to associate themselves with the intent of Lord Curzon's remarks upon this subject. The American representatives have expressed their Government's policy of the open door, and Lord Curzon has stated his adherence to this policy, but neither the statement nor the adherence had reference to any particular resource or field of economic activity, and only those who wilfully perverted these declarations have read into them meanings which suit their own political ends. The American representatives feel it their duty to refer to Lord Curzon's specific mention of the validity of the claims of the Turkish Petroleum Company and to remind the conference that, without seeking special privilege or favour, the Government of the United States has not assented to the principle that it may be disassociated in the rights of peace from the usual consequence of association in war, nor in other cases where another principle is involved will it abandon the policy of the open door. We refer to a substantial correspondence by our Government already accumulated under two successive political administrations in the United States. So far as means to furnish protection to legitimate American interests is at their hands, it does not affect the duty of the American representatives whether the identity of the American rights is associated with a commercial or any other American interest. For this reason the mention by Lord Curzon of a certain corporation and its claims is one giving the American representatives appropriate opportunity to suggest that where there are conflicting claims already in existence in respect to legal rights to resources there should be provided a means for a judicial settlement of these rights which would give full and complete assurance of impartiality. Such impartiality cannot be provided for specifically in advance. Under a general principle, the interested parties should be satisfied as to the impartiality of the juridical determination at the time of the reference of the conflicting claims. No. 26. TERRITORIAL AND MILITARY COMMISSION. Minutes of the Twenty-third Meeting, January 27, 1923, at 10 30 A.M., under the presidency of Lord Curzon. * These minutes do not represent the signed versions of speeches other than the British. M. Massigli, Secretary-General of the Conference. Restoration of Interned Civilians.-Exchange of Prisoners of War.Exchange of Populations. THE Commission had before it the draft agreement between Greece and Turkey in regard to (a) the reciprocal restoration of interned civilians now detained in Greece and Turkey, (b) the exchange of prisoners of war (Annex (A)); the draft convention between Greece and Turkey in regard to the exchange of populations (Annex (B)); and a draft protocol relating to the liberation of able-bodied men belonging to the Greek population, whose families had already left Turkish territory, now detained in Turkey (Annex (C)). M. MONTAGNA reminded the delegates that on the 9th January the Territorial and Military Commission had received a report in which the Sub-Commission on Exchange of Populations indicated that it had agreed on a certain number of principles. One question remained unsolved, on which the commission had been able to obtain agreement. The commission had then required the sub-commission to resume the examination of the questions submitted to it with a view to settling the methods whereby the agreement already attained in principle could be executed in practice. The sub-commission had found this task much larger than was originally expected. Several times over it had encountered such difficulties that it had despaired. of a successful issue. M. Montagna had not had the necessary time to draft a report on the sub-commission's labours and on the results obtained by it, and reserved the right to communicate such a report to the president of the commission later on. For the moment he would content himself with giving a verbal summary of the work done by the subcommission. After many arduous discussions the sub-commission had been able to draw up in common the text of an agreement concerning the restoration of civilian hostages and prisoners of war and the text of a convention relating to the exchange of populations. : M. Montagna observed that most serious difficulties had arisen in connection with the framing of this latter convention. Among these difficulties there were five which deserved special notice :1. The Turkish delegation had originally asked that even Greek subjects resident in Turkey, who were to be expelled from that country, should not be able to return thither. The Turkish delegation had subsequently withdrawn this request. 2. Considerable difficulty had been experienced in fixing the extent of the Constantinople zone. It was finally agreed that this zone should coincide with the area covered by the prefecture of the city. 3. The Turkish delegation had asked that the term "Western Thrace" should comprise a much larger area than that which the Greek delegation had in mind. On this point also the Turkish delegation had subsequently withdrawn their request. 4. The liquidation of certain religious communities' property had given rise to difficulty. The sub-commission had finally agreed that as in the case of private property the liquidation of this property should be compulsory. 5. As regards the measures taken in Greece in connection with expropriation of Moslem real property, the Greek delegation had displayed a broad conciliatory spirit. Thus by dint of mutual sacrifices it had proved possible to reach agreement on all points. The working basis of the convention was that a commission, consisting of four representatives of Greece, four of Turkey and three appointed by the Council of the League of Nations, was to regulate equitably all questions relative to the exchange. All that remained to be done was the final signature of the conventions. It had been arranged that the agreements relating to prisoners of war and exchange of populations should be signed simultaneously; but while the former was to come into force immediately, the latter was only to come into force upon the ratification of the Treaty of Peace. An exception was made as regards the male population interned in Anatolia, which was to be exchanged upon the signature of peace. M. Montagna felt bound to state that the framing of these agree |