File No. 763.72115/3164
The Minister in Sweden ( Moms ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12 midnight.]
532. Following from Constantinople received from Foreign Office:
The Sublime Porte informs me that according to a telegram from the Spanish Ambassador at Washington the American Government has withdrawn the permission granted to certain Ottoman subjects to leave America for a neutral country in Europe, and that consequently permission hitherto accorded by the Ottoman Government for the departure of Americans in Turkey without distinction of age or sex will be withdrawn until the Ottoman Government is [Page 253] informed that all the Ottoman subjects in question have received permission to leave America with the necessary safe-conduct. In view of the fact that the Sublime Porte has shown its good faith by allowing all the Americans residing at Constantinople, and who wished to go, to leave, and that the departure of those recently arrived from the Taranto to the number of about 150 has been delayed by the lack of the necessary permission from the Austrian Government, I have the honor to recommend that the American Government allow the Ottoman subjects at present held up to leave, for otherwise no other unofficial American will be able to leave Turkey. I have been assured that as soon as these Ottoman subjects shall have started for Europe the general permission for the departure of Americans will be reestablished by the Ottoman Government.