File No. 763.72115/308
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Germany (Gerard)
Washington, December 12, 1914, 6 p.m.
[Telegram]
806. The Department has received information from the American community at Beirut to the effect that grave dangers are involved in the announcement of the Ottoman policy of holding noncombatants as hostages and are apprehensive lest the sinister declaration that such hostages would be held responsible for the consequences of attacks upon coast cities by belligerent powers [sic]. Gravity of the declaration is greatly augmented by the recent proposal to remove these hostages to the interior. The Governor General says this order includes women and children. The general danger for all non-combatants greatly aggravated by the official declaration of the holy war.
The Department has, communicated the above information to the American Embassy in Constantinople with instructions to say to the Turkish Government that this Government considers the proposal to send British and French non-combatants to the interior would, if carried out, produce most serious consequences. You may take up this matter informally with the Foreign Office and point out the dangers to Americans from any such action, owing to the difficulties of their being distinguished from other Christian peoples. The Department would be glad if the German Government could use its influence with the Turkish Government to modify their-reported attitude.