767.68119 T&M 3/15: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Special Mission at Lausanne
75. Mission’s 168, December 30, 1 p.m., 170, January 1, 6 p.m., and earlier correspondence concerning a national home for the Armenians. Vartan Malcom, representative in Washington for the Armenian delegations at Lausanne, has informed the Department that the Armenian delegations consider a region in Cilicia between the Djihan and Euphrates rivers, extending north to Sis and Albistan a satisfactory location for the Armenian national home. …
[Page 947]It is not believed by the Department that satisfactory results can be obtained by pressure upon the Angora Assembly or the Turkish delegation at Lausanne from foreign powers. Turkish national feeling would probably be aroused by such action resulting in increased difficulty in winning success for any plan. If anything is to be accomplished, it would seem that the best method would be to have informal conversations with the Turkish delegates and impress upon them that it would be desirable to have the Turks themselves take the initiative as an act of generosity and not under pressure from foreign powers. One can hardly overestimate the good results which such an act would have upon relations between America and Turkey.
An Associated Press despatch of December 26 reports the statement by Noradoughian before the conference suggesting an Armenian national home with dominion status under Turkey. The moderation and tact with which Noradoughian presented the Armenian case has impressed the Department. Presumably the memorandum presented by Barton, Peet, and Montgomery was somewhat similar in its nature. Apparently the national home proposed by the Armenian delegations is entirely within Turkey, just north of the frontier of the Syrian mandate. Our representatives in Syria have reported repeated rumors that the French were considering withdrawing soon from northern Syria. The idea has occurred to me, therefore, that France might be willing to give up a small area near Alexandretta to be merged with another small area near Osmanie to establish a national home for the Armenians with local autonomy but under the sovereignty of Turkey. Presumably it would greatly facilitate concessions by Turkey were France to take such action. Malcom has information that if the necessary financing were arranged, the Swiss Government would not be disinclined to accept a mandate. The Department cannot predict what action might be taken in this matter by private initiative or by Congress. There is doubtless widespread favorable public sentiment in this country, and, in my opinion, if the political arrangements were satisfactory a considerable amount could be raised to assist in financing a national home for the Armenians. Any plan with a prospect of bringing about constructive spending of charitable funds instead of the continued feeding of refugees with no assured future, would be certain to appeal to the American people.
We are offering the above considerations confidentially for your information and desire your opinion as to whether action along such lines with any hope of success is practicable. We have no objection, if you think it appropriate, to your sounding out the French delegates informally with respect to their attitude toward certain concessions by France in northern Syria which might make it easier for Turkey to consider the setting up of a national Armenian home.