251.11 Insull, Samuel/479: Telegram
The Minister in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 3—3:30 p.m.]
43. Your 29, April 2, 6 p.m. It is my strong belief that it would be unsafe and unwise to send Insull home on a boat which stops in Greek [Page 580] waters. Public is highly inflamed over the arrest of the fugitive on a Greek boat in Istanbul and nothing could now prevent retaliation in the form of his being taken off a foreign boat especially Turkish but American authority [sic] which despite assurances might be held subject to judicial review. Greek assurances are the sport of politics, the Insull influence here is still powerful and although Maximos would doubtless give us his help, the Prime Minister has recently repeatedly expressed to members of this Legation his regret at the fugitive’s unhappy lot. Finally the whole aim for which I have long and devotedly striven, namely, to keep Greek-American relations calm and favorable while obtaining our wishes in regard to Insull, might be lost in a moment by flaunting him as our captive in the face of this hypersensitive people. I am taking no action pending further instructions.
I suggest Turkish steamer could be paid not to stop Piraeus or Insull could leave Heyderpasha by Taurus Express 9:35 forenoon April 5, arrive Tripoli morning of 7th and by car at Beirut in 2 hours, leaving there by Export Steamship Company’s American flag vessel Excambion for the United States via Alexandria on April 10.