740.0011 European War 1939/12097: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 16—7:55 a.m.]
193. For Secretary and Under Secretary. My next preceding telegram.58 Hugessen has just shown me his Government’s instructions to Halifax directing him to take up with you question of instructing me to try to dissuade Turks from concluding agreement with Germans at this juncture and to intimate threat to withhold from Turkey supplies under Lease and Lend Act. I am fully in accord with idea that we should make an attempt (even though not hopefully) to dissuade this Government from giving Germany psychological advantage which would accrue from signature of any political agreement whatsoever. But I feel strongly (and add for your private information that Hugessen concurs) that it would be mistake to accompany such representations with threat suggested which I am sure would irritate Turks …
2. If you wish me to take matter up with Turks I suggest that I be authorized to do so rather along line that proposed agreement with [Page 857] Germany would surely be misunderstood by American opinion as indicating weakening of Turkey’s solidarity with Britain and would tend to make more difficult any eventual cooperation between her and United States.
- Supra.↩