WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

258 WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE
achieved, but had been brought to a standstill without coming
anywhere within striking distance of the road to Trieste.
Failing to get near that city, the Italians had consoled themselves
by announcing the annexation of Albania. It was not
a step calculated to simplify the problem of negotiations
with Austria.
When Prince Sixte called on me for the last time on
June 5th, I told him how fully I shared his annoyance at
the delays which the Italians were making.
The Prince asked me to let him have some answer even
if the Italians would not meet us. I assured him that we
should do our best to insist on an answer from Sonnino and
from his Sovereign. "The chance of peace with Austria is
too important for us to let it slip. For the moment, we can
only say that these negotiations with Italy make the whole
thing long and difficult, but that, once they are settled,
things will move faster."
On reaching Paris, the Prince had an interview with
M. William Martin, of the French Foreign Office, who told
him that Baron Sonnino had no intention of meeting the
English and French Ministers. Sixte asked for some message
that he could convey to Karl as the answer of the French
to his letter. But for some time longer he heard nothing.
On June 20th he was told that in M. Ribot's opinion, "Nothing
can be done for the present; we can do nothing without
Italy." On June 23rd, M. Jules Cambon had a long interview
with the Prince, and explained the situation to him
as it appeared to the French Foreign Office. They were
having a good deal of trouble with Italy, because both
France and Italy were making large demands with respect
to Asia Minor, "on the principle of ask the more to get the
less." In Greece the French and Italians were also pursuing
conflicting policies. Sonnino was refusing to meet the other
Allied Premiers in a discussion. M. Cambon said that I was