868.48/220: Telegram
The High Commissioner at Constantinople (Bristol) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 3—1 a.m.]
287. For Department’s information. The following telegram, dated October 28, 5 p.m, has been sent to Legation at Athens with request it be repeated to Department:
“General Harington, the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, is in direct control of evacuation of eastern Thrace. Almost all Greek civilians have been withdrawn, and in most orderly manner. Allied supervision has maintained, as far as possible, strict impartiality toward whole civil population.
There was slight misunderstanding at first on part of French and Italians regarding evacuation of Greek civilians, but it was remedied by British, French, and Italian officers composing Allied commission charged with investigation and regulation of measures of evacuation. There has been no interference with civil population in taking with them their goods and their stores of food. Only a small quantity of food has been removed, but practically all livestock and means of transport has been carried away, and the remaining population is stripped of cattle useful in transport or cultivation. While, therefore, the food supplies have been voluntarily abandoned by the departing Greeks and Armenians, the cattle have been forcibly carried off. Attempt will be made by Allied commissions to restore stock to eastern Thrace where it belongs.
I believe the above information is entirely reliable as I received it from General Harington. Information from local sources may be less trustworthy and given out for propaganda. I suggest, therefore, that American relief agencies in Greece be warned against giving it full credence. I understand that reports from Greece estimate 800,000 refugees evacuated from Anatolia. This does not agree with record of numbers we actually evacuated. Our own figure is about 300,000 evacuated from all ports from Mudania to Alaya, and it is hardly credible that half million more had already been evacuated before our destroyers took charge of operations on September 14.
Devastated regions of Anatolia are in great need of relief. Liaison work should also be undertaken regarding Turkish prisoners in Greece and Greek prisoners in Turkey. I suggest, therefore, that as soon as possible representatives of Near East Relief and of Red Cross come from Greece to Constantinople to confer with relief agencies here and with me for purpose of drawing up joint plan. I can arrange, if notified, to have representatives brought to Constantinople and returned by destroyer.”