Notes of a Meeting Held at Mr. Lloyd George's Residence, 23 Rue
Nitot, Paris, on Thursday, May 22, 1919, at 11 a. m.
PRESENT
UNITED STATES o0 AMERICA                BRITISH EMPIT
President Wilson           The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George, M. P.
The Rt. Hon. Viscount Milner, G. C. B.
General Sir H. H. Wilson, G. 0. B.
FRANCE
M. Clemenceau
M. Tardieu
M. Berthelot
Sir Maurice Hankey, K. C. B.  Secretary
Prof. P. J. Mantoux        Interpreter
1. With reference to C. F. 20.A., Minute 4: - 1
M. CLEMENCEAU said he would confine himself to questions of fact.
As had been said yesterday, the Sykes-Picot Agreement detailed
Spheres of    spheres in Syria, both of sovereignty and of influ-
Military Occupa-  ence. When he had gone to London, he wanted to
tion in Syria  settle the question once for all. There had been a
good deal of friction which he wanted to get rid of. Mr. Lloyd
George then said he wanted Mosul. He replied that he would do
his best, but that he must consult the Quai d'Orsay. He had prom-
ised, however, to defend Mr. Lloyd George's case, and he had done
so. He only heard on this very morning of the negotiations between
M. Berenger2 and some British petroleum people, for laying a pipe-
line to the coast. He knew nothing of the details of this arrange-
ment. It was not a proposal for a railway, however, and it was
not that to which he had alluded yesterday. It was only a matter of
laying a pipe-line to get petroleum to Tripoli, in the interests of those
who wanted to buy and those who wanted to sell. He was not very
much interested in this matter, as Mr. Lloyd George had erroneously
assumed on the previous day.
He must recall at this point that Mr. Lloyd George had also spoken
to him in London of Palestine, which, according to the Treaty of
' Ante, p. 756.
' Victor Henry Bdrenger, French General Commissioner for Petroleum,
1917-1920.
807


Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/22i


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