Sir Wm. Tyrell, Permanent Head of the British Foreign Office, with all his Irish charm and wit, is as clever as Machievelli. He delights in calling himself “Chief of the Underlings”; but men like Mr. Forbes Adam and Mr. Harold Nicholson were experienced diplomats when their Turkish colleagues were in their cradles; which, as Ismet Pasha sometimes complains, “gives them no chance for a fair fight.” But when I dined with them as his guests, there was no fighting; and our host, I felt, was very well qualified to promote friendly relations, by the cultured ease of his hospitality. To my thinking, British “underlings” are very able men, and not pro-Russian as the Turks are disposed to fear. They were all anxious for peace, and quite sincerely eager to understand the nationalist point of view. * * * * * During the conference both M. Poincaré and M. Mussolini visited Lausanne and dined with Lord Curzon. I have had many talks about the Patriarch, whom Mustapha Kemal declares must be removed: “He must be got rid of, with the other relics of Byzantium!” The problem is especially hard on Turkey, because it arose from what ought to have been considered the great strength of the nation, though—in this case—it has been exaggerated into weakness, her immense tolerance for other people’s religion. When the Byzantians conquered the Turkish tribes who had emigrated into Asia Minor, they compelled the tribesmen to be converted, and join the Orthodox Church. The Bible, and all their prayers, were translated into Turkish; whence, without design, the Turkish Orthodox Church came into being. When, later, under the Seldjoucides and Osmanli, Anatolia passed into Moslem hands, no attempt was made to interfere with the Orthodox religion of the people. It was only when the Ottomans ruled in Constantinople and the Sultans used their growing power to support the Greek Patriarch, that the Anatolians began to see they were being manœuvred into the power of the Helenes. During the war, the Patriarch’s intrigues became more daring and more obvious; until Papas Eftim Effendi proposed in the Assembly that Fanar should be separated from the Orthodox Church, and that the Orthodox Church of Anatolia should rule in Thrace and Constantinople. Yet when Ismet Pasha spoke of the religious “tolerance” of Turkey, Lord Curzon replied: “How can you claim to be tolerant. All your past record will be destroyed if you dismiss the Patriarch.” And rather than risk such a charge against the Nationalists, he gave way. It seems to me, I confess, that this concession is a grave risk. The interference, thus permitted, may prove to be more disastrous than that of a few foreign judges against which they so resolutely protest. As Mr. Nicholson said he hoped that I had told Lord Curzon how much the Turks were giving up.... “I think,” he said, “their tolerance is very fine.” * * * * *