Office of the Historian

711.672/283: Telegram

The High Commissioner in Turkey (Bristol) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]
Constantinople, April 27, 1924—noon.
[Received 10:45 p.m.]

81. Your 69 of April 21, 4 p.m.

1.
Friendly attitude toward American interests was expressed by Turkish representative[s?] with whom I conferred at Angora. However, the medical department of Constantinople College was closed within a week of my conversations with the Minister of Public Instruction and with Ismet. [Garbled sentence omitted.] Marash school has been refused permission to reopen. The Standard Oil Company has encountered a series of obstacles. Difficulties have arisen concerning the military transport tax. A resentment has been produced among Americans, and even more markedly among other foreigners, by the accumulation of such acts … However, Turkish legislation has not become harmful to American interests. Also due consideration should be given to the fact that certain outstanding issues have recently been settled.
2.
I believe the Turkish Government is stable and can fulfill its International obligations.
3.
I see no reason to think Turkey will not ratify treaties as soon as the United States has done so. No action can be taken for 6 months, however, as Assembly has recessed for that length of time.
4.
British representative has informed me that the royal signature of the treaty with Great Britain is being delayed. The Department might learn the details through British Embassy in Washington or through our Embassy in London.
5.
I strongly favor submission of our treaties to the Senate at the earliest really opportune moment and their ratification as soon as [Page 732] possible. I hope to be able to adjust the various matters referred to in my paragraph 1, especially as Angora Ministers can give more time to such questions now that the Assembly has recessed. I leave it to the judgment of the Department whether the wiser course is to submit the treaties to the Senate now with existing issues still unadjusted, or delay until an effort to settle these issues has resulted one way or the other. Due consideration should be given in this connection to the possibility that new incidents or difficulties may arise.
Bristol