File No. 711.673/45
The Ambassador in Turkey (Morgenthau) to the Secretary of State
Constantinople, October 1, 1914, 7 p.m.
[Received October 2, 8:15 a.m.]
[Telegram]
New law intending to abrogate capitulations went into effect today. All foreign post offices closed, custom duty increased without any incident here. We have received telegram from Aleppo stating that officials there threatened to arrest and imprison American citizen Brewster for offense committed in April. Minister of Justice to whom I appealed promised to prevent the reopening of the case.
This afternoon I took Minister of War to Robert College and arranged special class for his brother, two sons, Sheik ul Islam, and son of prefect of Constantinople, who are all below admission age. I think this is very significant and will greatly help our educational institutions. It is very remarkable that the man most feared should devote part of first day of Turkey’s freedom from capitulations arranging for his brother’s education in American College. I thought you might desire publishing this to quiet Americans interested in Turkey. Smyrna people are again requesting war vessel. They are justified in feeling somewhat alarmed as Turkish officials continue making threats in case of foreign invasion, yet I do not believe it advisable to have war vessel go there now contrary to the request of the Sublime Porte. North Carolina will pass there within ten days and can anchor outside of harbor and captain visit Smyrna by tugboat if circumstances demand it. Greater recognition and security of our institutions can be obtained by my methods than by defying Turkish Government as Smyrna committee [desire].