367.1164 Brusa School Trial/3: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:07 p.m.]
8. Referring to my telegram number 5, January 22, 8 p.m. Press today publishes official communiqué from Ministry of Public Instruction, stating that active religious propaganda in the American school at Brusa has been definitely established and that, therefore, the school will be closed, and legal action will be taken against those responsible. Reliable Americans just returned from Brusa inform me that Miss Sanderson,47 one of the teachers, frankly acknowledges having given informal instructions in Christianity and Bibles to certain girls in the school and accepts full responsibility for the charges. The press has been inflammatory and presages a possible boycott of American schools. Robert and Constantinople Colleges deplore situation owing to possible ultimate effects of the incident on all American educational institutions. Intervention by the Embassy at present would be useless and unwise, as Hussein Bey informs me Ismet Pasha48 and Cabinet are determined to proceed with measures announced. School has not yet been closed, nor is it yet clear what form the legal action, if any, will take. Shall report further as situation develops.