868.48/290: Telegram
The Acting High Commissioner at Constantinople (Dolbeare) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:10 p.m.]
6. The Constantinople representative of Greek Government for refugees has received following telegram from his Government:
“Owing to transport of over 50,000 refugees from Pontus to Greece all districts are full up and many refugees remain unhoused, owing to spread of epidemics advisable stop all further shipments to Greece until it is possible thin out refugees whose number has now attained one million, it is impossible to accept more refugees. Please act immediately to prevent at once all fresh arrival of refugees from Constantinople or Pontus till further notice. Alexandris.”
Should this decision of Greek Government be carried into effect a most serious situation will arise in Anatolia. Refugees who are estimated to be arriving from interior at Black Sea ports at rate of three to five thousand per week will congregate those ports without possibility of evacuation and without food or shelter. When such concentration becomes sufficiently large Turkish officials may very [properly?] commence deportations of these groups into interior in order to prevent epidemics at the ports and results of such deportations are already too well known to merit comment. It would seem therefore as if Greek Government should be urged to withdraw above-mentioned decision and that relief organizations be urged to cooperate in caring for future arrivals. The question is serious enough to demand immediate action. Pending instructions the High Commission is taking no action. Repeated to Lausanne and Athens.