The French Reply to the first communication from the British
Foreign Office on the subject of the Near East was banded to Lord Hardinge in Paris on the night of Thursday, September 14th. The French Government, as was generally expected, unreservedly accepted the British proposal for guaran- teeing the freedom of the Straits. Instructions, it was explained at the same time, had already been sent to the French High Commissioner in Constantinople to join with the British and Italian representatives in warning the Angora Government of the consequences of attempting to violate the neutral zones. Nevertheless, the French High Commissioner would make the reservation that "this decision in no way prejudiced the ulti- mate conditions of peace." The language of the Reply was
very friendly, but it was indicated clearly enough that the French regarded the Turkish victory as greatly changing the situation.
