WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

236 WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE
On leaving me, the Prince wrote the following letter to
William Martin, the official at the Quai d'Orsay who had
arranged the interview:
"Paris,
18th April, 1917.
"Monsieur le Ministre,
"I am most deeply indebted to you for having overcome all
difficulties and brought about a meeting between Mr. Lloyd
George and myself. The interview went off perfectly, and must
be of great value. Mr. Lloyd George expressed a great anxiety to
see me again next Friday, on his way home. I asked him to apply
to you to let me know at what hour I should call upon him. You
see, I am still reckoning upon your unfailing good nature and
upon your friendship for myself both for this, and also to arrange
for me interviews with M. Ribot before and after my interview
with Mr. Lloyd George.
"Believe me, Monsieur le Ministre, yours most gratefully and
affectionately,
SIXTE DE BOURBON."
Next day M. Ribot and I met the Italian Premier and
Foreign Minister at St. Jean de Maurienne. The Alpine
snows had not yet melted in the valley. The conference took
place in a railway carriage, drawn up beside the station. The
chief subjects for discussion, forming the ostensible object
of the conference, were Italy's aspirations in Asia Minor,
and the question of Greece. When these had been dealt with,
we proceeded to talk about the prospects of an early peace
with Austria, basing this upon the rumours which had reached
us from various sources that the Dual Monarchy was contemplating
some move of this nature. The minute taken of
our discussion notes that there was some conversation on
the subject of the recent indications of Austria's desire for
a separate peace with the Allies. I pointed out that the Brit-