File No. 711.673/34.
Ambassador Morgenthau to the Secretary of State.
Constantinople, September 10, 1914.
The Sublime Porte notifies all Embassies today that Ottoman Government had decided to abrogate all capitulations—judiciary, [Page 1091] economic and administrative—from October 1. The Sublime Porte states that it has taken this step inspired by higher interests of Ottoman Fatherland and that in doing so it cherishes no unfriendly feeling against any Power whatever and that it is disposed to start negotiations with view of concluding with the American Government treaties of commerce on the basis of the general principles of public international law. Turkish officials admit choosing this time for their emancipation because five big Powers are at war and can not unite against them. Italian Ambassador acting as intermediary has arranged that the six Powers today hand identic protest to the Sublime Porte. They did not await instructions from their respective Governments. The form of the protest is weak. It merely states that capitulations are the result of bilateral agreements and therefore can not be modified or abrogated by one of the contracting parties without a previous understanding with the other parties. I deemed best not to send similar protest as it will be ineffective, and should like instructions by September 12 to protest most emphatically against abrogation of the judicial and administrative capitulations while being permitted to intimate that we have no serious objections to the abrogation of the economic capitulations.
Most of the Ambassadors frankly admit that little can be done to induce Ottoman Government to reverse their decision. In long interview today with Minister of Interior I protested vigorously against this attempt to abrogate judicial and administrative capitulations, which would interfere with personal liberty and inviolability of domicile. Ottoman Government considers abrogation an accomplished fact and organized public demonstrations to celebrate event and has had city decorated with flags and ordered the press to write long favorable editorials.