It is accordingly
understood between the French and British governments:
One
That France and Great
Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab
states or a confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the
annexed map, under the suzerainty of an Arab chief.
That in area (a)
France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall have priority of right of
enterprise and local loans. That in area (a) France, and in area (b)
Great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or foreign functionaries at
the request of the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
Two
That in the blue area
France, and in the red area Great Britain, shall be allowed to
establish such direct or indirect administration or control as they
desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the Arab state or
confederation of Arab states.
Three
That in the brown
area there shall be established an international administration, the
form of which is to be decided upon after consultation with Russia,
and subsequently in consultation with the other allies, and the
representatives of the sheriff of Mecca.
Four
That Great Britain be
accorded (1) the ports of Haifa and Acre, (2) guarantee of a given
supply of water from the tigres and Euphrates in area (a) for area
(b). His majesty's government, on their part, undertake that they
will at no time enter into negotiations for the cession of Cyprus to
any third power without the previous consent of the French government.
Five
That Alexandretta
shall be a free port as regards the trade of the British empire, and
that there shall be no discrimination in port charges or facilities as
regards British shipping and British goods; that there shall be
freedom of transit for British goods through Alexandretta and by
railway through the blue area, or (b) area, or area (a); and there
shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against British goods
on any railway or against British goods or ships at any port serving
the areas mentioned.
That Haifa shall be a
free port as regards the trade of France, her dominions and
protectorates, and there shall be no discrimination in port charges or
facilities as regards French shipping and French goods.
There shall be
freedom of transit for French goods through Haifa and by the British
railway through the brown area, whether those goods are intended for
or originate in the blue area, area (a), or area (b), and there shall
be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against French goods on any
railway, or against French goods or ships at any port serving the
areas mentioned.
Six
That in area (a) the
Baghdad railway shall not be extended southwards beyond Mosul, and in
area (b) northwards beyond Samarra, until a railway connecting Baghdad
and Aleppo via the Euphrates valley has been completed, and then only
with the concurrence of the two governments.
Seven
That Great Britain
has the right to build, administer, and be sole owner of a railway
connecting Haifa with area (b), and shall have a perpetual right to
transport troops along such a line at all times.
It is to be
understood by both governments that this railway is to facilitate the
connection of Baghdad with Haifa by rail, and it is further understood
that, if the engineering difficulties and expense entailed by keeping
this connecting line in the brown area only make the project
unfeasible, that the French government shall be prepared to consider
that the line in question may also traverse the Polgon Banias Keis
Marib Salkhad tell Otsda Mesmie before reaching area (b).
Eight
For a period of
twenty years the existing Turkish customs tariff shall remain in force
throughout the whole of the blue and red areas, as well as in areas
(a) and (b), and no increase in the rates of duty or conversions from
ad valorem to specific rates shall be made except by agreement between
the two powers.
There shall be no
interior customs barriers between any of the above mentioned areas.
The customs duties leviable on goods destined for the interior shall
be collected at the port of entry and handed over to the
administration of the area of destination.
Nine
It shall be agreed
that the French government will at no time enter into any negotiations
for the cession of their rights and will not cede such rights in the
blue area to any third power, except the Arab state or confederation
of Arab states, without the previous agreement of His Majesty's
government, who, on their part, will give a similar undertaking to the
French government regarding the red area.
Ten
The British and
French government, as the protectors of the Arab state, shall agree
that they will not themselves acquire and will not consent to a third
power acquiring territorial possessions in the Arabian peninsula, nor
consent to a third power installing a naval base either on the east
coast, or on the islands, of the red sea. This, however, shall not
prevent such adjustment of the Aden frontier as may be necessary in
consequence of recent Turkish aggression.
Eleven
The negotiations with
the Arabs as to the boundaries of the Arab states shall be continued
through the same channel as heretofore on behalf of the two powers.
Twelve
It is agreed that
measures to control the importation of arms into the Arab territories
will be considered by the two governments.
I have further the
honour to state that, in order to make the agreement complete, His
Majesty's government are proposing to the Russian government to
exchange notes analogous to those exchanged by the latter and your
Excellency's government on the 26th April last.
Copies of these notes
will be communicated to your Excellency as soon as exchanged. I would
also venture to remind your Excellency that the conclusion of the
present agreement raises, for practical consideration, the question of
claims of Italy to a share in any partition or rearrangement of Turkey
in Asia, as formulated in Article 9 of the agreement of the 26th
April, 1915, between Italy and the allies.
His Majesty's
government further consider that the Japanese government should be
informed of the arrangements now concluded.
