711.672/566: Telegram
The High Commissioner in Turkey (Bristol) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 18—1:05 a.m.]
16. This afternoon the notes were signed and exchanged. They are now in effect. Tewfik Rouschdy Bey asked me for an exchange of additional notes to which I agreed, of which the following is a translation:38
“I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of February 17th regarding the arrangements which have resulted from the conversations that have been held at Angora between the Government of the United States of America and the Turkish Government with respect to the regularization of relations between the United States of America and Turkey and to confirm the tenor thereof.
I desire to add that, having already the full authority of my Government to sign and to exchange notes of this date containing identic declarations, I shall present to you my full powers in due form as soon as possible.
Please accept, et cetera.”
I was surprised to receive the request for a confirmation of my authority to sign. Tewfik Rouschdy Bey explained that, since the notes engaged the Governments, he had deemed it necessary to request full powers and also to give full powers. I request that full powers be sent me by mail as quickly as possible.
We agreed upon the following communiqué to the press:38
“The negotiations which have taken place during the past few days between His Excellency Tewfik Rouschdy Bey, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency Admiral Bristol, Diplomatic Representative of the United States, with a view to regularizing the political and commercial relations between the two countries have been concluded this evening through an exchange of notes of this subject.”
Foreign Minister agreed not to make public for the present the texts of the notes. He said, however, that in case of an interpellation [Page 800] he might be obliged to give them to the Assembly. I said that I would request the Department to inform me of the earliest date when the texts can be made public. As I am taking up certain questions affecting American interests, will the Department please inform me? Authority is requested for me to return to Constantinople at my discretion.