Description
WWI French "Occupied Enemy Territory Administration" in Palestine: circa. 1918 stampless color picture-postcard of Constantinpole with space for address only from [JERUSALEM] to MOULINS tied by illustrated "Commissariat Française en Palestine" violet cachet and also by very rare violet 2-line text handstamp "Le Haut Commissaire de la République Française en Palestine" - this undocumented. The illustrated cachet is known used at least from July 1918. The text cachet may indicate that the picture-postcard was sent by the High Commissioner personally - François Georges Picot (Dec. 1917 - 1919), the co-architect of the 1915 "Sykes-Picot" treaty. The OETA was a joint British and French military administration over Levantine and Mesopotamian provinces of the former Ottoman Empire between 1918–20, headed by a French and a British High Commissioner; the OETA ended following the assignment of the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon and British Mandate for Palestine at the April 1920 San Remo conference. Here, as postcard not marked by the French Detachment in Palestine's military post office (601/601A), it may actually be diplomatic mail and was not transmitted out by any local postal service. Two staple holes near top at center.