868.48/141: Telegram
The High Commissioner at Constantinople ( Bristol ) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 26—3:40 a.m.]
217. I had a conversation with my Allied colleagues this morning, Rumbold, Garroni and Pellé. Rumbold informed me that the British were sending 15 ships immediately to Smyrna to assist in the evacuation. His Government has offered to subscribe 50,000 pounds sterling on condition that other nations contribute; also 100,000 francs have been immediately donated to be used by [Nansen] for immediate relief. The British, French and Italians have no funds here at their disposal for immediate relief. Garroni and Pellé thought that enough ships were provided for evacuation purposes and they do not contemplate sending any ships. Garroni and Pellé stated they would ask their Governments for funds to provide emergency rations for evacuation purposes. I informed my colleagues that our relief organizations had chartered two ships to assist in evacuation and American merchant vessels were being diverted to Smyrna for the same purpose and we would consider obtaining other ships to assist in evacuation. I informed them that we had a Disaster Relief Committee in Smyrna which represented all of our relief organizations in this part of the world and they were rendering immediate relief in the form of emergency rations and in obtaining shipping for evacuation; and that we were at present issuing 20,000 rations per day in Smyrna. I stated that we had funds from our private relief organizations to assist in this work but did not consider it necessary to give them detailed information [Page 434] of funds available however I did inform Rumbold that I had received a telegram badly garbled but which indicated that our Government had appropriated funds for relief purposes. I also informed him that through our influence 10 Greek vessels were in Smyrna by permission of the Turkish Mussulman authorities and engaged in evacuating refugees as fast as possible. In order to expedite evacuation these refugees were being taken to Mytilene Island, also that our destroyers were assisting in this evacuation. I pointed out the necessity for immediate action in evacuating these refugees from Smyrna before the time limit October 1st set by the Nationalist authorities after which no refugees could be evacuated. I stated that we had received unofficial information that Greek Government would receive refugees at Salonica and Cavalla without limit, and limited numbers on several islands in the Aegean Sea; and at the present time there were 80,000 refugees on the island of Mytilene that should be evacuated to Salonica and Cavalla or other Greek ports.
The conference decided unanimously to instruct our naval representatives at Smyrna to approach the Nationalist authorities and obtain permission to extend time beyond October 1st for the evacuation of the refugees; to expedite all evacuation measures and for this purpose to evacuate to Mytilene Island and later to Cavalla, Salonica and other Greek ports. It is necessary to have ships provisioned to feed refugees in passage during evacuation and Rumbold undertook to give the necessary directions to British vessels. I stated that we were sending bread and flour to Smyrna, Rodosto and Mytilene and pointed out the difficulty of baking bread in these places and thus the necessity for sending bread. It was decided that our naval representative[s] in Smyrna should be instructed to cooperate in carrying out the evacuation from Smyrna with the greatest dispatch and later the evacuation from Mytilene to the mainland and they should inform us of steps taken and the necessity for immediate rationing and relief of these refugees until they are landed in Greece. It was agreed that in accordance with the probability [that] oriental Thrace might be returned to Turkey that the Greek refugees in Silivri, Eregli and Rodosto should also be evacuated later.
It was agreed that the question of necessary relief and disposition of refugees in Greece should be handled by the Greek Government and other nations interested. Rumbold informed me on the side that funds for relief work would probably have to be supplied by England and America, intimating that we could not expect any assistance from Italy and France. However, as the situation develops here I will press my colleagues to obtain funds for our immediate relief work here.
[Page 435]This despatch will be communicated to our Minister at Athens for his information and necessary instructions will be issued to our naval detachment and our relief organizations will continue their activities. There was a meeting our Disaster Relief Committee in the Embassy to-day to coordinate all relief work. Thus far contributions from different associations total $85,000. I will request further contributions from Red Cross as may be necessary.