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One could even portend that the more grotesque of the representatives, whose minds operated merely in political and trade spheres, rued the failure to exterminate the Armenians completely in the 1915-16 genocide, as they now formed an obstacle to their interests. These factions were set on sabotaging and obscuring the peace negotiations between the signing of the ceasefire treaty in Mudros and the treaty in Lausanne with regard to the issues in the East. 29

Continuing in the footsteps of Gladstone-A, the president of USA, Woodrow Wilson, staunchly defended Armenia at the Paris Conference. Wilson tried to persuade the American government to give a guarantee for the Armenian Question, but was met by resistance from the senate, overweighed by isolationists.

The isolationists were worried that Cilicia would become an independent Armenia under French guidance. The Armenians who had survived the genocide and had returned to Cilicia during 1919, prayed to God for such a solution, which would yield great economic advantage to France and simultaneously revive the old Armenian-European bonds from the time of the crusades. The French authorities, however, chose to turn their back on the region which, with Armenians returning to their homes, had an Armenian majority and was entirely under French control. Instead, they pursued the disastrous policy of attacking the Arabs who opposed the expansive intentions of France in the Syrian desert.

The real answer to the Armenian Question lay with Transcaucasian Republic of Armenia and its demands on the neighbouring provinces in Western Armenia.

During the signing of the ceasefire treaty with Turkey, Benson commented: "Since the Armenians, more than any other nation under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, have been subjected to oppression, harassment and assault, it is the duty of the allies to begin their work by rebuilding these nations, starting with the Armenians." 30

It did not happen. Throughout 1919 the allies showed a lack of interest for their greatest and bravest ally, which during all the battles had stayed by their side. Armenia wanted the allies to recognise the independence of its government and send arms to them, as they had done for the Polacks, Czechs and the Slovaks. 31 These wishes were not granted, and throughout 1919 Armenia received nothing but American wheat that the "Charity Organisation of the Near Orient" distributed. Hence, Armenia was forced to rely during this difficult period on its own strength, without aid from any government.

President Wilson, meanwhile, hoped to surmount the opposition of the senate in regard to protecting the Armenians and solving the Armenian Question.

It was not until the end of January 1920 that the allies de facto recognised the independence of the Republic of Armenia. 32

In April 1920, during the conference in San Remo, the prime ministers of England, France and Italy (Lloyd-George, Millerand and Nitti) at last paid attention to the paragraphs in the ceasefire treaty with Turkey. In regard to the Armenian Question, they decided to establish an Armenian state consisting of the provinces of Trabizond, Erzurum, Van and Bitlis. This plan was handed over to the Ottoman delegation in Cedonse (the foreign ministry of France) on May 11, 1920.