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ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
320
by way of fulfilling the promises to the Armenian people
which they made with such solemnity when they needed
support in the war. And what of the League of Nations ?
Even its first Assembly in 1920 resolved unanimously that
something must be done by the Powers " to put a stop to the
terrible Armenian tragedy as soon as possible," and to safe
guard the future of the Armenian nation. At the second
Assembly in September 1921 Lord Robert CeciPs draft resolu
tion was unanimously adopted, emphasizing the desirability
that the Supreme Council of the Powers should " safeguard
the future of Armenia, and especially to give the Armenians
a national home {foyer national), completely independent of
Ottoman rule." The third Assembly in September 1922 again
passed a unanimous resolution declaring that " in the peace
negotiations with Turkey the necessity of founding a national
home for the Armenians must not be left out of sight. The
Assembly requested the Council to take whatever measures
it deemed necessary for this purpose."
Then came the peace negotiations at Lausanne from
November 1922 to June 1923. The representatives of the
Powers at once departed from the provisions about Armenia
in the Treaty of Sévres ; but on their behalf Lord Curzon
demanded an independent national home or country for the
Armenians, and characterized the Armenian question as " one
of the great scandals of the world." This proposal was
categorically rejected by the Turks. After passing through
various stages the demand was whittled away till it merely
suggested a home for the Armenians "in Turkey," which
would not even have an autonomous Government, and would
practically be an area " under Turkish law and administration,
where the Armenians could be assembled and preserve their
race, language, and culture." But even this was rejected by
the Turkish negotiators ; whereupon the representatives of
the Powers considered that they had done enough for a people
which had shed its blood for them. When the Treaty of
Lausanne was finally signed on July 24, 1923, it did not
contain a word about a home for the Armenians. In fact,
this treaty was made " just as though they had never existed,"
as their protest against it very justly observes.
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