Office of the Historian

711.672/337

The Secretary of State to Senator William E. Borah

Washington, January 10, 1925.

My Dear Senator Borah: I wish to inform you that I am in receipt of a telegram from the American High Commissioner at Constantinople, dated January 6, 1925,23 in which he informs me that he has had a discussion with the chief representatives of American business and philanthropic organizations in Turkey and that he is in a position to state that they unanimously favor immediate ratification of the Turkish Treaty. Admiral Bristol reports the general consensus of opinion to be:

(1)
That with regular relations between the two countries American interests could be more effectively supported;
(2)
That present difficulties concerning the transfer of property would automatically be done away with;
(3)
That Article 29 of the Treaty is necessary to protect corporations and individuals from the retroactive application of new and possibly excessive taxes;
(4)
That since many Turkish officials are now proceeding on the assumption that the Treaty will be ratified, a rejection of the Treaty would incur their ill will and expose our institutions to unfavorable treatment;
(5)
That if the Treaty fails of ratification American nationals will not be in a position of equality with European competitors.

Admiral Bristol reports that this opinion is supported by the President of Robert College, the President of Constantinople Woman’s College, the representatives of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, as well as by the representatives of prominent American business organizations in Turkey and the Levant Chamber of Commerce.

I am [etc.]

Charles E. Hughes
  1. Not printed.↩