718    THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE, 1919, VOLUME V


the total or partial partition of Turkey in Asia, Italy should obtain
an equitable part in the Mediterranean region in the neighborhood
of the province of Adalia.
MR. LLOYD GEORGE said that Italy had shown no anxiety during
the war to occupy any part of Turkey, neither Smyrna nor Budrum,
nor Scala Nuova. At that time such action on their part would have
been very welcome.
M. SoNNINo said Italy had offered troops for the Turkish theatre
several times.
MR. LLOYD GEORGE said they were only Abyssinian troops, and then
only about 1,000, when 200,000 to 300,000 were wanted to fight Turkey.
M. SONNINO said that Italy had her hands full fighting Austria.
PRESIDENT WILSON said he must respectfully remind M. Sonnino
that this was not a conversation merely between Allies. The United
States had a right to a place there, and further had a right to ask
questions, regardless of the Treaty of London. This- Treaty did not
provide an effective reason why troops should be disembarked on the
mainland, or why these places should be occupied.
M. SONNINO said that at Adalia there had been disorders amounting
to anarchy.
PRESIDENT WILSON asked if the landings at Scala Nuova, Makri and
Budrum had been due to the same cause.
M. SONNINO said there had been disorders at Makri; Marmaris had
been occupied because it was necessary to keep ships off the coast of
Adalia and Marmaris was the only place at which they could lie in
all weather. These landings did not compromise the final territorial
decisions.
PRESIDENT WILSON said that although it might not be the Italians'
intention to prejudice the decision by this action, in fact it was
prejudiced.
M. SONNINO said it was necessary to avoid disorder. At Smyrna
there had beeii disorder, and he was informed the Greeks had gone to
Aidin. That was not in accordance with the recent decision.
M. CLEMENCEAU said they had asked permission to go there, and
that was why M. Venizelos was present.
PRESIDENT WILSON said that he and his colleagues had deemed it
only courteous to M. Sonnino to invite him to be present when the
question was discussed of giving a more extended region of occupa-
tion to the Greek troops.
M. SoNNINo said that in the present discussion he would have
preferred that M. Venizelos should not be present. The Italian
Delegation had had discussions with M. Venizelos, and M. Venizelos
had published what had occurred in the newspapers. The discussions
had then been suspended pending the consideration of larger problems.