Office of the Historian

File No. 704.5467/3.

Ambassador Morgenthau to the Secretary of State.

No. 286.]
American Embassy,
Constantinople, April 20, 1915.

Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 272 of April 3, 1915, in regard to the protection of Swiss interests in Turkey, I have the honor to transmit herewith, for communication to the Swiss Government should the Department deem it necessary, a copy and translation of the reply of the Sublime Porte to this Embassy’s note verbale of April 3, 1915. A copy of this latter note verbale was forwarded to the Department with the aforementioned despatch of this Embassy.

I have [etc.]

H. Morgenthau.
[Inclosure—Translation.]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy.

No. 83907/76.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Constantinople, April 15, 1915.

note verbale.

In reply to the note verbale of the Embassy of the United States of America dated April 3, 1915. No. 242, in regard to the protection of the interests of [Page 1298] Swiss citizens in the Empire, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the honor to point out that the present situation, in which the said Embassy desires to assume such protection, is totally different from that of the time when the diplomatic mission and the consulates of France undertook to exercise it.

For this reason, the conditions laid down in the ministerial note verbale of March 22, 1915, No. 62803/59, had to be formulated for accepting this protection; and, moreover, every State to which a proposition of the nature of that of the Embassy of the Republic is made, has the right to determine the conditions to which it subjects its adherence.