[Footnote 66:  Eugene C. Shoecraft, the Ambassador’s secretary.]

[Footnote 67:  As related in Chapter XXII, page 267, President Wilson was informed of the so-called “secret treaties” by Mr. Balfour, in the course of his memorable visit to the White House.]

CHAPTER XXV

GETTING THE AMERICAN TROOPS TO FRANCE

A group of letters, written at this time, touch upon a variety of topics which were then engaging the interest of all countries: 

     To Arthur W. Page

     London, January 19, 1918.

     DEAR ARTHUR: 

     While your letter is still fresh in my mind I dictate the following
     in answer to your question about Palestine.

It has not been settled—­and cannot be, I fancy, until the Peace Conference—­precisely what the British will do with Palestine, but I have what I think is a correct idea of their general attitude on the subject.  First, of course, they do not propose to allow it to go back into Turkish hands; and the same can be said also of Armenia and possibly of Mesopotamia.  Their idea of the future of Palestine is that whoever shall manage the country, or however it shall be managed, the Jews shall have the same chance as anybody else.  Of course that’s quite an advance for the Jews there, but their idea is not that the Jews should have command of other populations there or control over them—­not in the least.  My guess at the English wish, which I have every reason to believe is the right guess, is that they would wish to have Palestine internationalized, whatever that means.  That is to say, that it should have control of its own local affairs and be a free country but that some great Power, or number of Powers, should see to it that none of the races that live there should be allowed to impose upon the other races.  I don’t know just how such a guarantee can be given by the great Powers or such a responsibility assumed except by an agreement among two or three of them, or barely possibly by the English keeping control themselves; but the control by the English after the war of the former German colonies will put such a large task on them that they will not be particularly eager to extend the area of their responsibility elsewhere.  Of course a difficult problem will come up also about Constantinople and the Dardanelles.  The Dardanelles must be internationalized.

I have never been able to consider the Zionist movement seriously.  It is a mere religious sentiment which will express itself in action by very few people.  I have asked a number of Jews at various times who are in favour of the Zionist movement if they themselves are going there.  They always say no.  The movement, therefore, has fixed itself in my mind as a Jewish movement in which no Jew that you can lay your hands on will ever take part but who wants other Jews to take part in it.