File No. 867.4016/297
The Chargé in Turkey (Philip) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 5, 8.15 a. m.]
2136. Your 2978, September 22, 4 p. m. My despatch September 151 gives further information received from consul at Aleppo.
Apart from the suggestion contained in my 1948, July 15,2 I have found it most difficult to formulate others as to course of action to be followed by our Government. The Department is in receipt of ample details demonstrating the horrors of the anti-Armenian campaign. For many months past I have felt that the most efficacious method of dealing with the situation from an international standpoint would be to flatly threaten to withdraw our diplomatic representative from a country where such barbarous methods are not only tolerated but actually carried out by order of the existing government. I am inclined to the opinion that such a threat for such a reason would have the effect of bringing the guilty parties to an appreciation of their true position before the world and of ameliorating the situation. Perhaps the opportune moment for this may have passed; the Department must judge as to that. In any event such a step would always involve danger of jeopardizing what American interests there, are in Turkey and of depriving us of even the existing means of affording financial relief to the Armenian sufferers, as well as many belligerent nationals under our care here, though it may be that some arrangement might be effected for the continuance of the latter. I am informed that Mr. Morgenthau at one time contemplated such a suggestion, but abandoned it for similar reasons.
I think the two imperative needs as regards the Armenian situation are, first, the absolute cessation of further deportations and, second, the removal of unreasonable restrictions against the administration of relief directly to these people by neutrals. Until these are assured I fear the fate of the majority of those who have survived the initial stages of being “moved on” will be the same as of those who did not. (Equally important, of course, for the eventful [eventual?] welfare of the Armenians are the questions of enforced conversions from Christianity to Islamism and departure from Turkey for such as can procure the means to do so.) Up to the present all my efforts to assure these needs have been fruitless. In official quarters the entire question is relegated to class of “internal measures” with which foreign powers have no right to interfere. This attitude has of course hampered our efforts, rendering our position most delicate and the serious exhortation of our Government of little value. German [Page 857] Ambassador here has spoken of this attitude as a reason for not having taken drastic measures of expostulation, but the Department will be aware that his predecessor did file an official note of protest enclosed with Embassy’s despatch number 447, September 7, 1915.1Thus it would appear that as far as official record is concerned the German Government actually asserted its right to formulate a protest in the circumstances even though the action may have been prompted rather by a desire to avoid further responsibility or blame than to promote humanitarian ends.